Testosterone
by Akatsume
Summary: Hinata has been horribly scorned by Konoha, and her crush, Naruto. After killing many, will she find solace in a band of all male murderers? [HinataxItachi, Kisame, Hidan, light Kakuzu, Sasori, Deidara] rating may change. also ItaKisa, Kakuhidan, SasoDei.
1. Chapter 1

0oOo0

Hinata ran, she leapt, she practically flew; Konohagakure was nothing to her.

'_That horrible place shall taunt me no more!_' she thought furiously, tears burning down her cheeks in fiery trails. The salty droplets swirled into the surrounding rain that stung her face as she pushed on.

"_Hinata-chan, it's just that…your family fears you. They reject you for that reason." _

"_Hinata, you're still too weak! Even with that freaky power of yours!" _

"_I hate you, Hyuuga!" _

She screamed suddenly as the memories came flooding back to her. Hinata's foot slipped, and she landed on her stomach, gripping the grass.

"**NO! I HATE YOU ALL!**" she cried, suddenly choking on a sob. Her cries came with speed and malice, overwhelming her shaking body.

"Do you all… really hate me… that much? Naruto?" she asked quietly, gasping sharply and quickly to calm her sobs.

_"Hinata. This town hates you because you are different. I know. They hated me, too. But, you… you are too different." _

"_T-too different, Naruto-kun?" _

"_Its Naruto-san. And yes, too different. They'll exile you. You killed half of the town, including Tsunade. She would've shown you some compassion. Now, your chances are gone, Hyuuga. When I say 'the town', it… it includes me. I hate you." _

"NARUTO! WHY THE HELL—JUST WHY THE HELL—WOULD YOU DO THAT TO ME!?" Her voice rang out amongst the trees, but was lost in the rolling thunder. Hinata's head fell onto the damp grass, and simply out of exhaustion, she fell asleep.

0oOo0

"Itachi."

His raven hair swirled heavily, wet with rain, as he turned to his aquatic partner.

"Aa?"

"Is that a girl?" queried Kisame, motioning to the left.

"Don't be ridi—"

Itachi blinked. It was a girl. She was soaked to the bone, and clad in a black hooded sweatshirt and dark blue pants. He could see a Konoha headband lying on the grass beside her. Her hair went down to her elbows, and was a midnight blue color. He could guess by her complexion and hair color alone that she was a Hyuuga, and also an unconscious one.

'_She's approximately 1.5 meters away…'_ he thought, contemplating a course of action.

"Sharingan!"

Itachi stumbled back involuntarily, bumping into Kisame. The shark-man said nothing.

The shorter man turned to him, his eyes wide and dark.

"You… deactivated it?" Kisame asked.

"She has… a strange power. An insight stronger that Sharingan could provide."

"Sh-should we inform Rei-sama?"

"I have a better plan, Minami. She shall inform Rei-sama personally. She could be a valuable asset to us."

'_How could I not sense her earlier…?'_

0oOo0

Hinata stirred slightly, and upon feeling the wet grass on her cheek, remembered the flood of emotional pain from before.

"…Could be a valuable…"

'_Who is that? It sounds like Sasuke, but… much, much older.'_ She thought.

"Hai, Shu-san. Shall I wake her, Itachi?"

'_Itachi!_' she thought. _'As in Uchiha Itachi, slayer of the Uchiha clan? Oh, fantastic.' _

Her eyes snapped shut as her Kekkei Genkai activated out of habit.

'_Ancestors of late, grant me your sight._' She prayed.

A scene blurred into her mind, blinding all else. She knew that time would stand still while she was in this trance.

In the scene, a man with blue skin approached her form as it was now, lying on the grass. It cut forward to her eating on the grass with Itachi and the blue man.

"What is your name, girl?" he would ask.

It blurred forward again to show her standing in a kitchen, being watched by hungry eyes. She could feel heat in that room, and could smell meat frying.

The second to last scene was in a bedroom, and all she could see of it was a blonde figure lying there amongst maroon sheets.

'_Oh no, the details of my future are being cut out. There was no sound, so I must be seeing very far to be experiencing only vague sensations.' _She thought.

The last vision, very blurry, came into focus. All she could see was a blurred patch of skin color, and she felt something cold and wet on her mouth.

Hinata reentered the present. The shark-man stood over her now, and he bent down to touch her shoulder.

She waited for the feeling of his hand before even breathing again.

'_Remember, Hina. This man is obviously an S-ranked criminal. Don't let your guard down.'_ She reminded herself.

Surprisingly, his touch was very gentle and cautious. Hinata sensed a kind spirit within him.

'_Kisame. Hoshigaki Kisame. That is his name.'_ She thought suddenly. This information was new to her, however. _'I need to keep it inside. I need to control this… crazy power of mine!' _

The hand on her shoulder shook gently, stirring her. She opened her eyes and sat up quickly, and although she sensed no malice, feigned fear.

"Who are you?" she asked quietly, despite knowing the answer. The Uchiha sat on the wet grass a few feet away, his liquid black eyes staring curiously at her. He seemed only mildly interested in anything else. Kisame stood over her, but then crouched, looking into her large white eyes with some degree of scrutiny. His beady black eyes narrowed slightly.

"She knows more than she's letting on, Shu-san." He said, his sharp teeth flashing in her lower peripheral vision.

She held his gaze, her face now blank. Slowly, she shifted her stare to scan his face, observing his concave cheeks and blue skin. Hinata traced each gill with her eyes, and then the pattern on his hitai-ate. It was adorned with the symbol of Kirigakure, but slashed through the center.

"You both are Akatsuki members. Hoshigaki Kisame and Uchiha Itachi." She said, deciding to give up what she knew to prevent an interrogation.

She hardened her expression, furrowing her brows slightly.

'_I look weak enough already. I don't want a fight to happen here.'_ She thought.

"Hyuuga. Ne?" said Itachi, his dark voice weaving a temporary spell around her. Hinata figured that there was no point in hiding her clan identity any longer, considering that he already knew.

"Yes. Hyuuga Hinata, though I no longer wish to be associated with my ex-family. I have betrayed them out of spite." She explained, speaking in monotone. Kisame smirked in approval and stood, holding out a rough hand. She took it gingerly, standing with little help.

"I hope that we can become better acquainted, Hinata-san." Grinned Kisame. "Allow me to welcome you preliminarily to the Akatsuki."

"Thank you, though I have little incentive nor desire to join. I appreciate your offer, Hoshigaki-san." She answered formally.

"Did you kill any from your village?" Itachi interjected.

"Many. Half of the population, civilians included, and the Hokage." She looked down as she said this.

"Well, then," Kisame began, "You have a friend in us, for we, too, have betrayed our places of origin." He grinned, and in doing so resembled a shark even more.

"Let us eat." Itachi said, "And if Hinata-san would join us, I would be honored." He looked her direction blankly with this statement.

The vision of her eating on the grass with them echoed into her mind once more. She could eat without fear of poison.

"I don't want to impose, but I would be most grateful if I could." She said, a slight blush creeping onto her face. Swiftly reprimanding herself mentally for allowing an old habit to return, she awaited an answer.

"Come, sit with us." Kisame replied, smiling. He handed her a box full of leftover onigiri.

"Neither of us like onigiri, so please take it."

"So…" Itachi began.

"What is your name, girl?" Hinata finished for him, imitating his inflection and tone perfectly. She looked him blankly in the eye. "This is why they rejected me."

0oOo0

Hoorah! Hinata kicks ass!

Instead of Itachi asking her name, the whole situation makes me think he's going to be like "Tell me of the waters of your home world, Usul." lol sorry


	2. Chapter 2

NOTES: I realize that when Itachi asked her name, he already knew the answer. Mmmmkay? And also, ages:

Itachi/Kisame: 23

Deidara: 20

Hinata: 19

Hidan: 22

Kakuzu: rly long…

Sasori: 65

Zetsu: 25

Leader/unnamed member: won't matter

They also will call each other by their "ring names" or the kanji on each persons ring.

Itachi: Shu (scarlet)

Kisame: Minami (south)

Deidara: Sei (a blue green color)

Hinata: Tsuchi (earth)

Hidan: San (three)

Kakuzu: Hoku (north)

Sasori: Tama (sphere)

Zetsu: Kai (boar)

Leader: Rei (zero)

Unnamed: Byaku (white)

Orochimaru: Sora (sky)

And I'm making Byaku a girl. All clear? Then let's begin. o/\o

0oOo0

Itachi's liquid black eyes widened momentarily.

'Observation and detailed memory… she has wonderful gifts.' He thought.

Kisame froze, eyes glued to the ground.

"Why did you ask me about knowledge that you had obtained earlier?" Hinata queried calmly.

Itachi swallowed.

"To test your power. Observation of the minutiae."

"Sou," began Kisame. "We didn't expect you to remember. We assumed you to be under too much stress."

The eldest Uchiha contemplated her usefulness; she could be a wonderful weapon for the Akatsuki, considering that she had expressed disinterest in joining on friendlier terms.

Following their sudden silence, a relaxed zephyr ghosted between the trio, contrasting with the tense atmosphere. Itachi sipped his tea, attempting to make sense of this girl.

"You'll fit in fine with us. We're all around your age, I think. You are around 20, ne?" asked the carnivorous Nin, smiling to relive the tension.

"Hai. 19." She replied, holding Itachi's gaze intensely. His eyes narrowed to a mild glare. He would have activated the Sharingan for effect, but her chakra was still unstable. This would cause him to shock backwards.

'I can't risk my Uchiha grace and beauty by falling backwards while already on the ground.' He thought with disgust.

"Really? You're almost the perfect age! Itachi and I are around 23…"

'This isn't going smoothly…' Kisame thought nervously.

'I know that no matter what happens, I'll end up with them anyways. I can, however, change the circumstances.' Hinata thought.

She asked Kisame about the other members while continuing to glare into Itachi's inky pools.

"…And Sasori's about 65… though you wouldn't be able to tell by sight… He looks like a 15 year old…" Kisame muttered through a bite of food.

"15? Sugoi…" Hinata replied, finally tearing her eyes away from Itachi. "Deidara sounds fairly young, too."

"Yeah, but they're both little brats. We woulda sacked em' by now if it weren't for their abilities…"

Hinata observed how everything about the shark betrayed his true thoughts about the pair. His words were cold, but his eyes and intonation glimmered with warmth and care for his teammates.

'There must be a great mutual love…' she thought.

"I, ano, actually…" Hinata began.

"Hai?" replied Itachi, looking up indifferently.

"I would like to join."

0oOo0

Hinata gazed up at the wall of black fabric to her right.

"God… he's so tall," she muttered, trying to peer over Kisame's shoulder, which came just above the top of her head. His rumbling chuckle brought a small measure of comfort in the messy situation she had just gotten herself into.

Her eyes dropped momentarily with sleep; they had been traveling on foot for 10 days is 9-hour intervals, with 3 hours in between for sleep. Needless to say, it had not been enough for Hinata.

"Oi, 'Same-san, how tall are you?" she asked impulsively.

"Last I checked, 6 foot something…" he replied, trailing off in thought as Itachi, who had been walking briskly ahead of them, stopped and turned.

"Hinata."

She stiffened.

"You have several trials awaiting you. You have no time for such trivial things. If you end up succeeding, he'll tell you more pointless facts later." He turned his head sideways, giving them both a glimpse of his profile, highlighted by the red-orange sunset.

"We are near. You should rest."

She glanced at Kisame, hoping for surcease of uneasiness. His eyes were serious, and full of hopeful sorrow.

In one quick motion, he knelt, unfastening his cloak at the same time. Hinata closed her eyes in surprise.

"How sad. You've already formed an attachment to her. " Itachi stated simply.

She found herself surrounded by warmth, and cautiously opened her eyes. The only thing she saw was darkness, and felt fabric over her face. Arms wrapped around her, pushing her in.

'_He's… hugging me…'_ she thought.

"If you don't survive… remember this at least. You've grown on me all too quickly, Hina. The test will be long and difficult, consisting of 9 trials. We should prepare tomorrow. Nee-san…"

She nearly melted right there. Here was an S-ranked, murderous, deformed criminal, calling her sister and saying that he cared. If she had formed a bond this quickly, then the rest of the group must be wonderfully caring after the initial gaining of trust and respect. It wasn't the physical trials that concerned her: it was the emotional barriers. Hinata was now determined to make her stay as pleasant as possible, now that her future was set.

As Kisame released her, she caught a spark of jealousy in Itachi's dark eyes.

0oOo0

"Thank you very much for the food." Hinata nearly whispered after her meal.

Itachi merely nodded in her direction. After putting away his leftovers, his figure flashed up, appearing on a nearby branch.

"'Night."

As Hinata peered around, the forest grew darker by degrees. She shrugged, allowing her body to lean backwards until her back touched the grass. A gust blew, sending a few animals skittering about while she tented her legs and bent up her arms to use like a pillow. Sighing in content, she allowed her eyes to close.

"An advanced form of Byakugan? Outrageous! It's not possible for my flimsy wraith of a daughter to possess such a rare trait!" Hiashi bellowed.

"_It's not a trait. It is an ability gained through training." Tsunade stated calmly, helping herself to a seat. "I purposely came to your home to speak with Hinata… not you." _

_Hinata struggled to breath silently. She had just come back from the training grounds, and was sure that her father would not activate his Kekkei Genkai while Tsunade was around. _

"_There's something important you should know," The Hokage began, lowering her voice. "Hinata possesses future sight. She could potentially see every move you make, every step you take, and every breath you breathe for the next ten years. She has also gained a beautiful power of observation, and not just sight, either. Hinata can detect hints of emotion in the voice, and also in posture and expression. She can know many things that others could not. Your daughter could be a useful kunoichi, or a horrible mistake. What she becomes from here on is your decision, Hiashi." _

Hinata closed her eyes tightly. Why was she seeing the past instead of the future? She struggled to pull herself into consciousness; her senses began focusing on her current surroundings instead of those of the dream. First came feeling; a tingle on her skin, a sort of moist heat. Breath rippled over her cheek, and a looming presence appeared over her. Then came sound: the wind gusting over the grass, and soft breathing close to her ear. After sound, smell; a warm, intriguing scent that calmed and excited her. Lastly, she opened her silver eyes, which adjusted to the darkness. Two swirling black eyes looked straight into hers.

0oOo0

Oh, Itachi you naughty boy.


	3. Chapter 3

0oOo0

Hinata gasped quietly. Time seemed to freeze.

"Why?" he whispered frantically, running a hand through her hair. "Why do you like him more? What makes him so special?"

Hinata's mouth opened slightly. Itachi hissed in response. She felt his thighs tighten around her waist.

"Why." It had become a statement.

"He… isn't as cold…Kisame." she gulped. Itachi's eyes widened.

"Well, then, girl, how do you like me now?" he murmured, his face drawing closer, his raven hair creating a curtain around their heads.

"Itachi-san… " She gasped, feeling heat rise to her face.

"Yes, starting to feel it now, aren't we? The closeness, the pressure, everything… This and more could await you. Join us of your own free will, not just because you see it happening anyways… become our family… I plead you." He said, his voice gradually softening. "I could see it in your eyes. You want to be a member, not a captive."

"Itachi…" Hinata mumbled again. "I… want to. I want to pass these trials."

He smirked, his eyes closing half way. Itachi purposefully lowered his lips to fit just over hers. She felt a twinge of excitement.

"Then you shall." He whispered into her open mouth.

She closed her eyes. The warmth disappeared. He was gone. Hinata lay in shock for moments on end, reliving the scene in her head.

As a cold wind blew, she shivered impulsively, exhaling in the same shaky rhythm.

"Hinata?" rumbled a low yet familiar voice. She could hear that he had just woken up.

"Kisame…" she replied, the tone of relief flooding his name.

"Did something happen?" she heard the grass shift a few feet away. She inhaled the cold air.

"No."

"You sound cold." He said simply, his voice sounding muffled. Hinata heard a few moments of shifting, and it grew louder. She then felt herself being lifted slightly, and slipped between smooth fabrics.

'_Silk…'_ she thought, her hand running gently down the shapeless cloth. The cloth tightened around her slightly, and she felt something press along the length of her body, her bare calves felt roughish fabric that contained something firm. It was another body.

"Better?" his familiar basso rumbled, and she felt his breath on her neck. Instead of feeling tense and exhilarated, she felt relaxed. This was completely different from Itachi.

After thinking over what she had felt so far, Hinata realized that Kisame had placed her inside of his cloak, with himself.

'_This is actually quite… comfortable…'_ she thought, suppressing a yawn. Soon, she felt his breathing even out, and fell asleep to the feeling of his chest rhythmically pressing against her.

0oOo0


	4. Chapter 4

0oOo0

_Sweat poured from Hinata's forehead. Not long ago, she had reached her limit. _

'_I must train… Training is my only escape.' She thought. Her knees gave out, and she fell to the ground. Apathy for her current position overwhelmed her. _

"_No! Once more…" She said quietly, trying to pull herself up. _

_Gathering all of her remaining chakra into her hand, she struck the stump once more. _

_Hinata's eyes widened in panic as the light blue chakra spread over the terrain, wilting flowers and trees as it sucked the chakra from them. She watched in horror as passersby convulsed in pain as their energy was siphoned as well. The poisonous energy flooded over half of the village, and she began to cry silently as it washed over the Hokage Building. Tsunade was dead. _

_She pulled away from the stump in horror, staring is disbelief at her bloody palm. The imprint of her hand in the stump was perfectly smooth, and even showed the delicate lines of her fingerprints. It looked as though she had pressed her hand into clay. _

"Hinata? Oi, Hinata!" The voice rumbled. Her eyes snapped open. It was only Kisame.

"You okay? You look a little… shaken."

"Genki…" She replied, though her breathing was erratic.

"Kisame." Called Itachi. Kisame struggled to release Hinata from the cozy confines of his cloak before his partner saw, but all in vain. She blushed horribly under Itachi's gaze. The feelings rushed back to her suddenly.

"I need to show you something. Quickly." The Uchiha murmured, turning to leave. Hinata scrambled to get up, stumbling slightly. Kisame merely collected his cloak.

His pace was hurried, as though he was agitated.

"Ano, Itachi-san, are you feeling alright—"

"Feeling has nothing to do with it. You shouldn't waste your precious time worrying about me."

Hinata followed him like a dog, attempting to forget the feelings that were creeping up on her again. Her skin tingled with the memory of his breath. Determined, she matched his stride, coming up next to the disgruntled Uchiha. Lowering her voice, she said:

"About last night…?"

"What about it?" He replied simply, tossing his head as an excuse to look away.

"Why?"

Itachi froze, his eyes focused straight ahead.

"I want you to forget everything, if it will prevent you from questioning me."

"That's the problem: I can't. Ever since you spoke this morning, each detail has haunted me. What did you do to me? Why can I remember so vividly?"

A low chuckle emanated from the dark-haired man.

"It is your own fault for being affected so harshly by my actions. " And the ghost of a smirk caught her eye.

0oOo0

"Project every last drop of chakra you have. That's it. I think you've got it. Now, watch my hands; I'm only doing this once." Itachi said, bringing his hands together.

Hinata watched him intently.

"Remember, lift every fiber of your being off this earth. If you succeed, you'll know." With this, his hands flashed into 12 different positions in about half a minute, and his body fell limp. Kisame caught it easily.

"Yosh," Hinata whispered. Her hands flashed into every seal Itachi had done.

"Tori," She said, stating the name of the final seal. Kisame caught her, relief flooding him. The first test was over.

_"Where am I?" she muttered. Darkness swelled around her. She saw several other figures standing there, but they faded quickly. SHe envisioned her chakra being pulled down to earth, and the darkness slowly dissipated. _

0oOo0

"You mean I passed?" She gasped. Itachi nodded, keeping his eyes on the glowing yellow orb of the sun. The sky suddenly burst with orange as it lowered a bit more. Hinata hugged her knees, catching a glimpse of the deep purple hue her nails now bore.

"However, the other members will test you physically tomorrow. You are not through. The cloak, spats, hitai-ate, hat, and ring will come in time."

She sighed. He made it sound so difficult.

"Oi."

Hinata looked up to see the looming figure of Kisame behind her. He crouched between her and Itachi.

"Something from Rei-sama: I am needed. Keep her safe tonight, ne?"

Itachi nodded.

'_Kisame! I don't want to be left alone with him tonight! If only you knew about yesterday… How close he came…'_ She screamed at him mentally, shivering with that memory again.

"Aa. Take your leave. You'll be back for breakfast, then?"

"Hai, Shu-san."

His form flashed away, leaving a touch of mist behind. The cold spray stung her eyes slightly.

"Rape…" she murmured. A low chuckle came from beside her.

"I may be a murderer, but rape is not within the boundaries of my ability. You have nothing to fear as far as that." He turned to her, capturing her gaze.

"Though I may molest you a bit."

Her eyes widened until she saw the humor in his features. She released her breath audibly.

"You weren't actually concerned, were you?" he said, still rendering Hinata unable to look away. She said nothing, only blushed. He snickered under his breath.

"What did you mean by 'this and more could await you'?" she asked suddenly.

"_Well, then, girl, how do you like me now?" he murmured, his face drawing closer, his raven hair creating a curtain around their heads. _

"_Itachi-san… " She gasped, feeling heat rise to her face. _

"_Yes, starting to feel it now, aren't we? The closeness, the pressure, everything… This and more could await you. Join us of your own free will, not just because you see it happening anyways… become our family… I plead you." He said, his voice gradually softening. "I could see it in your eyes. You want to be a member, not a captive."_

"Oh." He said simply. "I was trying anything I could to get you to start fighting for membership instead of resigning yourself to fate. Sex appeal."

She flushed again. Duh.

'_It may have worked…'_ she thought.

"I will certainly push for membership. By the way, who'll be administering the next test?"

"Hidan." He said, focusing on the golden sunset once more. His eyes took on the color of the Sharingan, though his Kekkei Genkai remained dormant.

"Would you tell me about him?" She asked, settling in a little more.

"Odd fellow. Sadomasochist. Silver hair, red eyes. Nice bone structure though. He looks like a _vacuous _male model. You'll be racing against him. Pretty slow attacker, however." Itachi drawled.

"Is he kind?"

The Uchiha scoffed.

"He'll definitely be courteous to a sweet little thing like you."

'_Don't tell me that silver hair and perverted ness go hand in hand…' _she groaned internally.

"And one more thing," Itachi began. "Don't ever challenge him to fight. He can't die."

"He is… highly skilled?" Hinata queried. Surely, nobody is immortal.

"No. He simply won't die. I've tried. I've put a kunai through his heart. He won't die. Hidan's even had his head lopped off. Kakuzu sewed it back on, however."

Hinata cringed. That sounded excruciatingly painful. Having never been decapitated, however, Hinata wouldn't know.

"If you beat him tomorrow, you'll receive your spats and pants."

Hinata glanced at Itachi's sandals as an example. She simply refused to look at his pants, no matter how much she desired it.

"Care to turn in? Kisame's had his turn to keep you warm, and I know he'll bitch at me if I don't, so it's your decision. My cloak is the same as his."

Hinata gulped. She knew the kinds of things that would be preventing sleep for endless hours if she delved further into his proximity. Just talking like that proved distracting for her. Still, rain clouds were growing heavy in the dark sky. As the first drops fell, her decision had been made.

0oOo0

It's almost poor, neglected Hidan's turn: D


	5. Chapter 5

0oOo0

Hidan ran a hand through his hair in irritation. Why must he always be the one picked to test the newbies? Sighing as the rain splashed mercilessly on his slicked back silver hair, he pondered the meaning of Itachi's description.

"Hinata. Hyuuga Hinata. Nice girl; easy to bond with. She tends to be a bit quiet, but no complaints here. Just be gentle with her, her past is as rough as yours or mine."

"Quiet? That'll be a nice change." He muttered, thinking of his loudmouthed ally Deidara. "Hopefully she'll find a way to shut him the fuck up." As the temperature dropped with the cool rain and lack of sunlight, Hidan zipped up his cloak for the first time in weeks. His reddish eyes narrowed slightly as he saw two figures in the distance. They both had long hair, but only one was female. They ran hurriedly, seeking shelter from the rain.

'_Kids now a days…'_ he thought, sighing as many, slightly disturbing, images of their possible plansflashed in is mind. The taller, male figure stopped suddenly, turning to the girl. Hidan caught several bits of the conversation, but not enough to determine anything useful. The man's voice sounded very familiar, however.

"I-itachi-san…"

His eyes widened. Wasting no time, he sprinted towards them.

"I finally get to meet you, Hina!" he whispered.

A rather sexy grin worked its way onto his face. ( : D )

0oOo0

"Itachi-san…" she muttered. "Can you see anything?" The Uchiha shook his head.

"I found a cove, but it may be too shallow. If anything, it'll give us shelter until the rain goes away. Have you made your decision?"

She flushed and nodded.

"If it won't trouble you, I'd like the warmth." A small but genuine smile touched Itachi's face for a split second.

"Aa. It's nothing."

There was a momentary silence before Hinata spoke.

"Byakugan."

The dark-haired boy glanced over.

"30 meters east. There's a larger cave. Dry bottom. It'll work." As her hands came down, the veins surrounding her eyes lessened. Hinata smiled softly at the older shinobi.

"Ikuze."

0oOo0

"Maa, where the hell are they headed now?" Hidan muttered, halting mid-sprint. His cloak tails flew in front of him for a minute before settling with a flutter. The figures outlined only by dark rain leapt quickly out of sight. His light red eyes followed them, before he physically trailed after. One eyebrow lifted in confusion as he caught more of the conversation in their wake.

"Will you tell me more?" he heard Hinata say. Itachi nodded briefly.

"His part—money crazy…"

'_What?'_ thought Hidan.

Growing frustrated, he called after them.

"Itachi! Oi, Itachi! Matte o!"

He saw Itachi skid to a halt immediately, standing then in a sort of trance. His dark head turned slowly, and a red eye glared into Hidan's very being. The religious fanatic paid it no mind. As soon as he caught up, panting heavily from exhaustion, Hinata was nearly tackled by Hidan.

"Off the girl." Itachi said slowly.

Hinata only flushed and squeaked slightly.

"Oh, you always ruin my fun." Hidan said with mock bitterness.

"By the way," The Sharingan user said. "This is Hidan. Don't fall asleep for too long."

"What? You make it sound like I'm going to molest her in her sleep!" He nearly shouted.

Hinata gulped.

"I'm not." He said simply, shrugged in Hinata's direction.

"Right. Anyways, Hinata? Where is it?" Itachi queried.

Her Kekkei Genkai activated, Hinata scanned the area again.

"There. " she gestured to a rock face nearby. "It's hidden, though."

Keeping the Byakugan in use, she approached the cliff.

"Ha! Jyuuken!"

Itachi blinked as bits of rock flew past him, and the dust settled in the rain. Hidan smirked.

"Nice."

"Hinata, do you wish to retire?" Itachi asked. The Hyuuga nodded.

'_Since when does Itachi consider others' opinions? Pussy whipped…'_ Hidan thought.

The trio stepped over a 6-inch threshold of chipped stone, and into their home for the night.

0oOo0

"They'll end up costing us extra…" Kakuzu muttered.

"Naw, they'll be good, UN." Deidara sparkled.

"Either way, it's no concern of mine." Sasori's flat tone ended all conversation.

"What are you all murmuring about?" Zetsu's white side cut in.

"There's going to be a new member. A girl." Said Kakuzu nonchalantly, leaning back in one of the hard wooden kitchen chairs.

"Girl?" said Sasori. "You neglected to mention that, Kakuzu."

"I didn't think it was a big deal… After all, what does lacking a Y chromosome have to do with anything?" He responded tartly.

"I—nothing." The puppet said.

"Sasori-danaa? You okay, un?" Deidara asked, leaning over the table on his elbows.

"Yeah. Just… drop it."

A few moments of silence followed.

"I think," said Kakuzu. " She'll make herself useful."

"Uh? How's that, un?"

"There's a mission coming up that would require a female. We now have a more skilled operative for such a mission." He replied.

"Reconnaissance?" asked Sasori.

"Undercover. Possible assassination."

"Aw, sounds fun! I want to go, un!" The blonde bubbled.

"You'd probably pass as a girl…" Sasori mumbled. "Everything but the boobs."

"Ay!" Deidara shouted.

0oOo0

Ya, Dei-chan just said "Ay" as in Cartman's "Ay". And Whenever I see Hidan in the manga, it looks like all of his poses are planned. Like he can't be caught in an ugly moment… so im doing that in the fic a little… :D


	6. Chapter 6

0oOo0

Insomnia haunted Hinata. It seemed as though endless hours of consciousness had passed, but of course, she couldn't tell in the darkness of the cave. Only the soft, rhythmic breaths of her comrades kept time. The sound of the rain outside was dull and muffled, becoming ambience that swam vaguely in her dreary half-sleep. Voices echoed softly in her mind, their words indistinct. Groaning softly, she rolled over on the clammy, unyielding stone. After a few endless minutes, she heard the rain soften. The drizzle soon stopped completely. Pushing herself up from the chilly earth, Hinata stepped gently over the sleeping bodies of Itachi and Hidan to the cave entrance.

The thin scent of fresh rain stuck to everything, filling the world. A few stray drops fell here and there, dotting the slow-drying mud. The soles of her black sandals squished uncomfortably into the muck beneath clear wet grass. Solemn strands of sinuous silver light pierced through the dense cloud cover. It appeared that the moon was full. Hinata let her back lean against the wet surface of the rock wall, and played with a bit of chakra in her palm. On a whim, she moved her palm slightly, creating diminutive designs of solid chakra in the air. A sad smile graced her face as Hinata remembered the first time she had used her Saikou Zettai Bogyou (Ultimate Absolute Defense).

"That was with my old team… and Naruto." She whispered. A tear rolled down her face as the memories of all the extensive training she had gone through for that move came rushing back.

"Maybe… for old times' sake." She muttered, thinking of a place to train.

'_If I could find a spring…'_

0oOo0

The brisk water enveloped Hinata; sending cool shivers across the surface of her skin. She allowed her body to become lax, and her arms drifted above her head.

'_Oh, this is nice…' _she thought, feeling a surge of joy. Swimming had always been a passion of hers.

A giggle escaped her lips as she resurfaced. Splashing contentedly in the deep, clear spring brought back melancholy memories of summer. She could almost hear the low buzz of heat, and the chirrup of crickets in tall grass. Pulling chakra to her palms, Hinata pushed onto the water's surface. Her bare skin became bumpy at the sudden chill. The girl ignored it, sweeping up the water with her fingers. After a few minutes of using her hands, she focused her chakra into a field around her, using it alone to manipulate the fluid. It flew in spirals around her, and it was then that she realized how much she had improved. Hinata panted heavily and the water fell away. Such techniques require vast chakra stores, and even then was exhausting.

Sitting chastely on the wet grass, waiting for the wind to dry her, Hinata wondered if what she was doing was right.

"_Hinata. Never mention that name again. Uchiha Itachi is a menace to society. A simple-minded murderer who developed a taste for blood through Konoha." _Her father had told her once. She murmured this quote silently.

The memory of Asuma was fresh in her mind. Hinata could remember walking by team 9 and smelling salty tears. She remembered Ino coming over for a visit soon after his death and crying on her shoulder.

"_You're the only one I can trust!"_ Ino sobbed. "_Sa-Sakura would g-gloat, a-and…" Her voice shook horribly. "And I don't know Tenten very well, and T-temari's in Suna and…" _She inhaled hoarsely. _"I just miss him too much!"_ And from there on, she sobbed loudly into Hinata's shoulder. After that event, Ino had treated her with much more respect.

"Hidan did that to him. Hidan made my friend cry. Hidan made Ino contemplate suicide." Hinata whispered. But she couldn't bring herself to resent the bright-eyed man. "Nor Itachi. Why can't I hate?"

She pulled the black coat back on, followed by her pants. Running her fingers through her hair, Kisame came to mind.

"What did he do, exactly?" she mouthed.

Kurenai used to tell her stories about fighting with Itachi and Kisame.

"_He has a great sword that absorbs chakra. That's where Asuma's arm injury came from." At this Shino stepped forward. _

"_But I observed his wounds. The injury is not a cut so much as a very deep scrape. Over three inches." _

_Kurenai nodded. _

"_Samehada is made for shaving, not cutting." _

Hinata cringed. How… disgusting. But what a sweet man. Hoshigaki Kisame. She found herself missing him, though only a day had passed. How quickly she had formed a relationship with these men. Then again, she won the affections of Team 8 in only three days of daily training. She won Kisame's affections in half a month's time, with no separation.

"And what of Itachi…" she queried aloud.

"What about me?"

0oOo0

"Itachi-sama! I didn't… I…" she stuttered.

"Stop stuttering," He sighed, sitting beside her. Though phrased as a command, it was said like a request.

"Hai." She swallowed nervously.

"What were you saying?" he asked calmly, turning his head to her. In the moment of silence that followed, his torso lowered to the ground, and his arms came up to rest his head. Hinata hugged her knees.

"I was wondering about everyone. The Akatsuki. I was thinking about you. And Kisame. And Hidan." She said quietly, the color of embarrassment tinting her cheeks.

"Hn. What were you wondering about?" he said, turning his ink-dark eyes to the stars.

"How—" She gulped, whimpering with embarrassment. "How m-much you all, uh…"

His eyes caught hers, and Itachi raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"How much I what?" he asked, genuine curiosity playing across his face.

"Like… me. As a friend." She finished timidly.

'_Exactly, as a friend. It shouldn't have been that hard to say.'_ Hinata mentally scolded.

"Oh. I guess I'm a little cold to everyone. I like you fine, Hina." He said casually. "What are you doing out here so late?"

"Training." She muttered. Her lucid eyes tore away from his.

"I felt it. Your chakra." He mumbled. "Its aura is too pure. You've felt our chakra. Ours is tainted. Dark. You killed unintentionally. We intend to kill. You are the lamb with bloody horns, Hina. You just don't know how to use them."

She allowed this to sink in.

"In time, you'll learn. The field is not a place for emotions. The jobs that we do are not easy. You must be able to do things quietly, quickly, and efficiently. Nothing unnecessary. Though, it helps to be able to improvise. I can tell that you're not the kind of person who enjoys pointless death. This will take you far in our organization. You have the potential, but not the skills to utilize it properly."

Hinata caught herself staring at him. Such wisdom for a man so young.

"Arigatou. Honto Arigatou. Itachi."

"Iie. I just don't want to see you leave us so soon. And thanks for leaving off the honorary." His mouth pulled into a brief smile for her. For only her.

0oOo0


	7. Chapter 7

0oOo0

The end of night came slowly for Hinata. Today was the day of the second test. Today would be another factor in the equation of her future.

"Hidan. I'm ready." She said, her face serious. An easy grin lit Hidan's features.

"Shall we begin?" he laughed, stretching his legs and back.

"I would strongly advise against overconfidence. Both of you." Itachi cut in. "At the first light of dawn, the race begins. There will be a time limit of 5 minutes. Whoever gets to me first will win. I'll be waiting for you both 1.5 miles away, at a waterfall to the East."

With this comment, Hinata turned away from the sunrise.

"Begin."

0oOo0

Hidan shot off, wasting no time. His feet pushed powerfully from the ground, landing him onto the first branch of the forest. Laughing with mirth, he figured that the poor little girl was still standing at the start, confused.

Hinata, however, had gotten a seconds head start, with her reaction time being better than Hidan's. With the aid of her Byakugan, she came to the realization that Hidan was just out of sight, though still behind her. Increasing speed, she searched for Itachi with her Kekkei Genkai. Directions were difficult to determine in the dark forest. The Hyuuga estimated another mile to go, with 1.5 minutes having passed. If she could keep the pace, victory was assured.

"Hidan's still behind me…" she mumbled, increasing her speed nervously.

"Why hello." A voice echoed into the shell of her ear. Hinata shrieked slightly, but managed to keep steady. Hidan cackled arrogantly.

"Omai (you)…" She muttered harshly, shooting ahead. From there on, the race became intense. Every time Hinata got a lead, Hidan inched ahead ever so slightly.

As the waterfall came into view, the silver-eyed girl pushed every last bit of strength into her legs. The river leading up to the waterfall literally parted for her because of the sheer force of her chakra. Hidan had fallen behind at the start of the clearing.

Skidding to a stop, she fell to her hands and knees at Itachi. A reserved smile met her, the same one that he had shown her last night.

"Congratulations, Kohai (younger student)." He said. Hinata smiled through her heavy breaths.

"Aw, this little _gaki_ (brat) is improving." Hidan grinned from behind. To Hinata's dismay, he was barely sweating, let alone breathing hard.

"You… let me… win?" she gasped, still exhausted. She had yet to even stand.

"No. You're just hella fast." He sighed. "I guess that means we have to pay up. I'll get Kakuzu to deliver your stuff later today."

"Stuff?" she queried.

"Uniform. But only the spats and pants. The rest will come in time. You get to keep your undershirt, by the way. Our uniform consists of the following:" Itachi paused to help her up from the ground. "Kasa (bamboo hat), nail polish, cloak, spats, and pants. And of course," he gestured to his forehead. "Hitai-ate."

"That's the last test. Slashing the symbol of your village." Hidan added.

Hinata made a small humming noise to acknowledge.

'_I wonder what's going on in my village right now.'_

0oOo0

"Please, Shizune-nee-chan! Let us look!" the young blonde begged.

"I'm sorry, Naruto, I really am. But, until we elect a new Hokage, such rash actions cannot be taken. Nobody is in charge right now. We've even stopped doing S-ranked missions until the election. I feel for you. Hinata and Sasuke both meant a lot to this village. But until somebody steps up, nothing can be done." Shizune replied, putting a hand on the man's shoulder. She laughed suddenly at his solemn expression.

"Uzumaki Naruto." She sighed. "Sadness does not suit you. If you are bright, then the town will illumine with your light."

Naruto perked up slightly, still boyish after 19 years of age.

"Ne, ne, Shizune! Do you think I'm strong enough to become Hokage now?" he asked, bouncing slightly.

"Mm. There are many shinobi stronger than you, Naruto. Jiraiya-sama will most likely take over. Although he's like, 60-something years old…" Shizune trailed off.

"Shizune?" he said, his energetic voice calming and softening. "What do you think happened to her? Where did she go?"

Shizune sighed.

"I can't say. Nobody can."

0oOo0

"Neji. That's enough." Hiashi barked.

"Hai." Neji breathed.

He abandoned the raw training post to sit by his uncle. Instinctively, Neji reached to his right, grasping air where a teacup should be. He looked at his empty hand.

"Hinata." He mumbled.

"Oh, yes. Hinata would usually bring tea for you after your training. Shame she had to disappear. That girl made a decent cup of tea." Hiashi said casually.

"She fled. She fled because of you. It's not just the tea that I miss." Neji whispered harshly, storming off to his room. "Incautious bastard."

0oOo0


	8. Chapter 8

0oOo0

Neji continued down the hall, his rage subdued to some degree. Rounding another corner, he stopped short to avoid running into Hanabi. She had done the same. They stood for a few minutes, holding each other's gaze blankly.

"You seem upset, Neji-nii-san." Hanabi said to break the silence. Neji sighed.

"Hiashi. He was talking about our sister. He doesn't even care." Neji replied, his voice cracking ever so slightly. Hanabi's eyes widened.

"Gosh, you're really concerned about her." She marveled.

"Of course!" The branch member snapped. "I'm sorry. It's just that—"

"No need. Calm yourself, brother. Once Jiraiya-sama comes to office as the new Hokage, we can take action." She cooed, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"That's too long a wait. Hinata may need us now. She could be anywhere, injured, starving—"

0oOo0

"Itadakimasu!" Hinata called, pulling apart her chopsticks. A moderately sized smile was on her face.

"My, you're looking chipper today." Hidan grinned.

"Of course! Kisame-chan is coming back today!" she replied, picking a noodle from her plate. A dull yellow light bulb flickered above them. The udon bar that they chose to eat at was a tad elderly. Hinata wondered how it could remind her so much of Ichiraku Ramen. Itachi ducked under the canvas flaps at the entrance of the bar. Casually, he took a seat beside Hidan.

"Kakuzu's arrived." He muttered to the silver-haired man, resting his chin on the backs of his hands.

"Kuzu-chan?" Hidan said. "Did he bring anything?"

Itachi nodded.

"He brought the pants and spats. He also complained at me for fifteen minutes about how much money this will cost." He lowered his voice and moved closer to Hidan's ear. "Until I told him about Hina-chan's little… _gift._ She reads the future, Hidan."

His dark pink eyes widened.

"The future? She sees…" Hidan mumbled. Itachi nodded again as he back away from Hidan. Hinata absently noticed a chip in her nail polish.

0oOo0

"Naruto! Come with me, quickly!" Neji called, grabbing the blonde boy by the hand. He pulled Naruto ruthlessly through the streets.

"Oi, Neji! What's this all about?" He yelled.

"No time! Just hurry!" Neji replied. After a few minutes of running, they were surrounded by dense forest.

"Now, what's going on?" Naruto panted. Neji made a shushing sound.

"How bad do want Hinata back?" he whispered. Naruto's eyes widened.

"What?"

"How bad!?" Neji hissed.

"I want her back more than anything. Her and Sasuke." He replied.

"I have a plan, then. We leave the village. Just to get her back. There's not much hope for Sasuke. He's already forming a new team comprised of Orochimaru's stronger test subjects. But Hinata has a chance! Please, come with me!" Neji whispered.

Naruto had never seen him like this.

"Neji…"

0oOo0

"Hinata? Give me your hand…" Hidan said suddenly.

"What?" Hinata asked, but complied.

"Tsk. Your nail polish is chipping. Take a seat."

She sat down on one of the hotel beds in their room. Hidan sat next to her, and from his weapons pouch pulled a bottle of purple nail polish.

"You're going to…?" she mumbled.

"Paint your nails, yes." He replied disjointedly as he unscrewed the cap. Hidan spread her fingers out over his palm, and daubed the small brush carefully over the chipped areas. She gazed curiously at the amount of focus he had.

"Who is Kakuzu?" she asked on a whim. The brush slipped ever so slightly, leaving a bit of wet polish on the tip of her finger.

"My partner." He replied, berating himself for becoming distracted.

"What's he like?" Hinata wondered aloud.

"He's wonderful. A wonderful pain in the ass. But I still love—" He cut off, blushing suddenly.

"Love--?" Hinata repeated.

"Ah, it's nothing." He brushed the subject off. Hinata smiled knowingly as he blew lightly on her nails. She heard the metallic clink of the cap being replaced.

"Arigatou." She said, looking in awe at her nails. "They're beautiful."

He scratched the back of his head absently.

"Naw, it's nothing…"

Hinata barely heard the door open as three men came over the threshold.

"Kisame! Itachi!" she smiled, half jogging over to them. The third man she couldn't recognize.

Kisame smiled warmly, while Itachi only cocked an eyebrow at her excitement.

"Hey, Hina!" the shark said, lifting off the ground for a moment. She laughed and wrapped her arms around him.

"I missed you, Kisa-chan!" She greeted. He ruffled her hair as a mock reprimand for the nickname.

"This is our new… applicant?" the third man asked skeptically.

"She is our Kohai, and don't you forget it, Kakuzu." Itachi said, stepping before the man impudently. "She's been proven twice. That's farther than most hopefuls get."

Kakuzu sighed and looked over the girl with his white pupils. The scleras of his eyes were black. Hinata could only see his eyes. His hitai-ate was naturally on his forehead, and he had a white head covering that draped down around his face and behind his head. There was also a black mask over his nose and mouth.

"Kakuzu, did you bring my scythe, too?" Hidan whined.

"No. You shouldn't have forgotten it." He replied sharply. "I only brought what was necessary for the girl."

Kakuzu brought forth a package of white paper tied with twine. Hinata accepted it formally, bowing in the manner she was taught.

"A polite one. That'll be a nice change." Kakuzu chuckled huskily. The Hyuuga could've sworn that Kisame had growled.

"So, who's sleeping where tonight? We got five people and two beds." Hidan said, his inner monologue having disappeared.

Throughout the room, there was a collective "um".

0oOo0

Oh yeah: No own, no sue. And yes, I realize that Neji and Hinata are not siblings.


	9. Chapter 9

Concerning Naruto: There is a plot twisty thing involving his feelings towards Hinata. He rejected her in the first chapter, and now he wants her back. Confusing, right? Well, all shall be revealed in time, so don't worry. Actually, I'll tell you in this chapter so you don't keep reading confused.

0oOo0

"Naruto, Neji," Shizune began. "I cannot allow you to go forward with this."

"Demo sa, demo sa!" Naruto protested. Shizune merely shook her head.

"No-one can assign you a mission. There is no Hokage. If you leave the village without permission, you're immediately considered a missing Nin and will be prosecuted if found. You become an enemy of this village." The woman continued. Blue and silver eyes turned to the floor of the Hokage's office. Shizune sighed and faced the window.

"Tell you what," she said, catching the attention of both boys. "I'll close my eyes and count off fifteen minutes. If you're gone by then, I'll assume you're out training. If you're still gone after a period of time, I'll assume you're still out training. If I don't see it, it didn't happen."

"Shizune, thank you!" Naruto cried.

"Better hurry, kid, you got fourteen and a half minutes." She called. The door slammed a few minutes later. "Godspeed. Naruto, Neji."

0oOo0

After a bit of discussion, the group had been separated into the following: Hidan and Kakuzu in one bed, Itachi and Kisame in the other, and Hinata was yet undecided. Or rather, each team was arguing over her, with Hinata herself having yet to interject.

"Hidan, no! I will not allow someone perverted like you to be in the same bed with her!" Kisame growled.

"Well, excuse me for being concerned over her comfort! No way she'll fit between Itachi and _you_ Kisame!" he retorted.

"Ano, guys—" Hinata said softly. The argument continued without her. Itachi and Kakuzu simply shook they're heads and approached her.

"Your input?" Itachi asked. Kakuzu looked at her expectantly.

"No offense to you, Kakuzu-san, but I'm more comfortable with Itachi and Kisa-chan." She replied over the din of Hidan and Kisame.

"Sounds fair." Kakuzu said simply. "By the way, it is now 10:00. I suggest we turn in. Early morning tomorrow. We have to get to the base for her third test." This comment caught the attention of the bickering Nins.

"What? What's fair? Who's she in with?" Hidan asked repeatedly.

"Will you shut up?" Kakuzu moaned. "She's with Itachi and Kisame. She knows them better, so just can it! I'm getting changed…" he grumbled, heading off to the bathroom.

"Kakuzu-san," Itachi called. "It would be more efficient if Hinata was allowed the bathroom to change in, considering her gender."

"Oh. Yes, it would." Kakuzu replied. "My apologies, Hinata-san."

She flushed slightly at his courtesy.

"O-oh, it's nothing…" she mumbled, her old stuttering habit returning.

'_Let's see… what do I have for pajamas?'_ she thought, closing the door behind her. Hinata sifted through the small bag of personal items she had brought with her.

0oOo0

"What do you mean by 'I can't find your nephew'?" Hiashi spat. The servant bowed deeply.

"My greatest apologies, Hiashi-sama."

"Get our of my sight, you worthless pig!" The clan leader hissed. The man sprinted off. "I went through all the trouble of disguising myself as that demon boy for nothing! Now Neji's gone as well? That little ingrate is probably trying to find her!"

He sighed suddenly, his posture sagging momentarily. "She's simply not fit to be my heir!"

0oOo0

The young Hyuuga cringed slightly at herself in the mirror.

'_This'll have to do.'_ Hinata thought. She self-consciously tugged at the hem of her dark blue cotton shorts. Even though they only reached mid-thigh, Hinata wished they would at least be knee-length. Her tank top was fine, however. She'd just have to keep her chest bindings on. Full-bodied girls definitely lacked certain options when it came to clothing. Hinata hoped she hadn't taken too long. With a quick glance at the cheap clock hung on the dingy yellow bathroom wall, she realized only 6 minutes had passed.

Attempting to be inconspicuous, she crept out of the bathroom and into the main area where two beds were placed, and four members of the Akatsuki sat, casually talking. Hinata released the breath she had been holding, and walked out plainly. Kisame heard the springs creak next to him as Hinata sat. She pulled her legs up in order to feel less bare.

"Hi…?" she whispered nervously. The conversation had stopped upon her arrival. Her knees pressed closer into her chest as she tried to make herself as small as possible. The room felt very warm to Hinata. Her self-consciousness lessened slightly with the knowledge that Hidan was a whore. He sat shamelessly in his boxers, looking quite delicious to Hinata (though she wouldn't admit it). Kakuzu had removed only his cloak, while Kisame and Itachi opted for the shirtless approach. The room certainly was warm.

0oOo0

"Naruto!" Neji called, stopping short in the thick wood. He knelt, staring at the ground. The blonde boy, incapable of stopping properly at such a high speed, went flailing to the ground, saved by a lone branch that happened to snag the zipper of his jacket. Naruto thrashed for a few moments, hanging by the sleeves of his obnoxious orange and black coat.

"Ano, Neji? A little help here—" he trailed off. Naruto allowed the sleeves to slip from his arms, allowing him to land. "What is it?"

"A footprint, obviously." Neji said, gauging the size. The demon container pulled his jacket free, slipped it over his shoulders. The zipper rose.

"Is it Hinata's?" he asked.

"About the right size." Neji replied. "We're on the right track. Awfully clumsy of her to leave footprints, though. Must've been in a hurry." Naruto stood suddenly.

"Ano sa! It looks like she fell over there!" he called, dashing over to a grassy clearing. "The grass is trampled, like somebody made camp!"

"Looks like more than one person. There are three individual sets of prints here. The small ones are Hinata's. There's also someone with large feet, and a set of medium prints. All are wearing shinobi sandals, though the issue is only clear on Hinata's. The others I can't recognize from any village." Neji mumbled.

"Rouge Shinobi?" Naruto inquired.

"They didn't harm her. They must have been somewhat friendly." Neji replied. "Who are you involved with, Hina?"

0oOo0


	10. Chapter 10

0oOo0

'Comfortable warmth' was the only words that Hinata could think of to describe her current feeling. The diminutive girl was sandwiched between Kisame's large form and Itachi's leanly muscled back. She knew they were asleep, for Kisame's arms were around her protectively, pulling her into his chest. Hinata enjoyed the secure feeling she received from these men. A small smile pulled onto her lips as she wriggled into the larger man gently as not to disturb him. She hummed slightly in content. For once in her life, a smallish bed was not a bad thing.

The soft breathing of the two immortal men in the other bed told her that she was the sole conscious person in the room. Suddenly, Kisame and Itachi stirred simultaneously. After a few moments of silence, each of them had become aware of the other.

"Can't sleep?" Hinata asked softly, ensuring that her voice would reach only them.

"This doesn't feel… normal." Itachi muttered, mainly to Kisame.

"Don't we normally sleep…? Never mind. We can't, not with Hinata here." He mumbled.

"You mean, in boxers?" Itachi chuckled slightly. "I suppose you're right."

"I don't want you being all tired tomorrow…" Hinata pondered softly, her maternal instinct showing through. "It wouldn't bother me. My old teammates often slept nude in my presence. " She admitted with a blush. Kisame snickered faintly. Minutes of shuffling later, she heard the dual 'shuff' of fabric being thrown to the floor, followed by a tandem 'aaaaah' from both men. Both seemed more comfortable, and snuggled closer to Hinata. She flushed again. Hot breath from either side tickled her skin in a comforting way. This was awkwardly nice.

0oOo0

Neji rubbed the tiredness from his eyes. He could sense his cousin nearby, and the taste of her presence tormented him to no end. River country (located between Fire and Wind country) was a fairly difficult area to search, being heavily wooded with the exception of a few small clearings and the large river flowing down the center. This river accounted for the thick greenery throughout the country. Neji knew of only one settlement in the land of the River. Hinata must be there.

He shook his blonde companion awake roughly. The sun would rise soon.

"Naruto. Get prepared." He said, standing to find food. "We leave upon daylight."

0oOo0

Hinata's eyes adjusted slowly to the dirty light streaming through the small, ugly windowpane in their hotel room. Once again, she was the only one awake. As a rush of cool morning air brushed her cheeks, Hinata realized how hot the sheets had become with three bodies beneath them. Two pairs of arms encircled her waist, with the exception of Kisame's right, which was touching her face lightly. Her future had certainly become strange.

Brushing off the embrace reluctantly, and also gently, so as not to disturb them, Hinata wriggled her way out of bed. She chuckled as she looked back to see Itachi and Kisame embracing each other in her stead. What sort of chaotic morning would this result in? She dismissed the thought and headed for the bathroom. After fifteen days of traveling, a shower was a welcome commodity.

0oOo0

The sun peeked shyly over the hilltops, spilling orange light onto Neji and Naruto's camp. The blonde felt it tickle his cheek.

"Where exactly is this settlement?" Naruto asked through a mouthful of dried fish.

"A: please don't mistranslate the meaning of 'sea\see-food, Naruto, and B: It's about two miles east. We'll be there by today." Neji replied, cringing at the sight of Naruto's chewed fish. "Now let's get a move on." He yanked the boy up roughly, causing the demon container to abandon his plate, and his food. Naruto savored the fish remaining in his mouth as they ran, leaping from branch to branch once they came to the edge of the clearing. The Hyuuga didn't slow for Naruto; Hinata awaited him.

0oOo0

"Sasori-danaa! We're out of beef, un!" Deidara called from the kitchen, holding the fridge open with one hand and toying with the hem of his fishnet shirt with the other. Deidara took pride in the odd cut of his shirt. It was like a tank top, but with additional straps falling over his shoulders. The neckline and one of the shoulder sections was filled in with more fishnet, as was the very bottom. The extra shoulder straps pulled the fabric tight horizontally over his chest.

"Then go buy some beef, Dei-chan." Sasori replied in a bored tone. His eyes darted over Deidara's back for a moment, accompanied by a lick of the lips. "Come here for a sec…" the puppet master called seductively. Nobody was around…

Deidara complied curiously.

"D-danaa?" he called, startled by Sasori as the redhead pulled him onto the couch. Their bodies pressed together clumsily. Sasori smiled slightly, tugging at his partner's hair. Deidara lowered his head, and Sasori's lips brushed against his. Though this often happened, Deidara blushed.

Just as Sasori was about to deepen the kiss, Zetsu burst through the door into the moderately sized living room, ignoring the couple. He bore several bags of groceries. Tobi, Zetsu's assistant, tottered behind with many more.

"Stop making out and help me unpack." Zetsu snarled. Deidara unwillingly clambered off of Sasori to put away the food.

"We have beef, un!" he squealed.

0oOo0

Itachi's eyes flickered open, and the first thing he noticed was the lack of warmth. Kisame's arms had found their way around him. The Uchiha didn't mind. He rather enjoyed the feeling of Kisame's bare skin against his. It brought back rather… exciting memories for Itachi. He wondered briefly how Hinata would react to learn of their sexual orientation. For the time being, he wouldn't fret over it. He would simply bask in the warmth of his lover.

0oOo0

Hinata took only ten minutes to shower, not wanting to waste time. She was surprised to see that everyone was still asleep. As her gaze turned to Kisame and Itachi, she realized that Itachi's dark eyes were focused on the shark-man. He didn't pull away from the embrace. He appeared to like it. Hinata inhaled sharply, pulling herself back into the bathroom.

'_Could they be… not… straight?' _she thought. For some reason, this had never occurred to her until now. The close friendship, how there was no reaction to such low proximity.

'_I wonder if they've ever…done it…'_ she wondered, feeling heat rise to face like never before. Hinata froze. Someone had inhaled sleepily, sharply. It was Kisame.

"Hmm. Morning, Ita-chan." He mumbled. She heard them shift closer together, and risked peeking around the doorframe. Itachi stroked Kisame's face lightly. His mouth moved close to the shark's ear. She could not hear him, but his lips read 'I love you.'.

"Oh my god." She whispered. "They really are…" The breath seemed to disappear from her lungs. This was odd. Hinata was not opposed to this, simply shocked. Now things were getting really interesting.


	11. Chapter 11

0oOo0

The next few days of travel went awkwardly for Hinata. The other men noticed her behavior, but attributed it to a certain female bodily function.

"Occam's razor, after all." Itachi muttered to his tall comrade, earning a chuckle. Hinata was, in fact, not experiencing her time of the month, but simply mulling over the odd truth she had recently learned. It bit at her like a minute mosquito: just enough to hurt, but too small to be killed. Anxiously, Hinata bit her nails, begging silently for enough confidence to ask.

On the fourth day of travel, a sudden surge of courage caused her to step in front of the four men, appearing small due to the strength abandoning her quickly. The sentence was half out of her mouth.

"Are you and Kisame…guh…?" she choked on her words, not being able to utter the last crucial syllable.

"Guh?" Kisame imitated in a questioning manner. Her cheeks burned.

"Oh. It's… hard to explain, Hina." Said Itachi, understanding and flushing slightly. "You must have seen us that morning…"

Kisame nodded, grasping the meaning of their words. Hidan and Kakuzu merely exchanged looks.

"It's like that with all of us." Itachi clarified. "We are straight, but not with… each other, if that makes any sense." Hinata squinted.

"For example, if Kisame saw a hot chick," Hidan began. "He would probably try to hit that." Kisame scrunched up his nose. "But he is also Itachi's man."

Hinata nodded.

"I think I get it. So, you are only like that with your respective, um… partners." She stated. Four heads inclined to acknowledge her.

"Interesting." She marveled silently as they began walking silently. Hinata now had a new understanding of these men, and important revelation. "So… what does that make me, then?"

"Um, straight?" Hidan stated simply.

"No, I mean, to you." She clarified. Kisame smiled at her.

"Hinata, dearest, you are my friend, comrade, and sister." He said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Hidan rolled his eyes.

"Well, uh…" she began, at a loss for words. Pink re-stained her cheeks. "Th-thanks…" she finished, barely hiding her small flustered smile.

0oOo0

"_You don't have a choice. Your room is the biggest."_ Echoed their leader's deep basso. Deidara restrained his protests.

"Hai, Rei-sama." Sasori muttered from within Hiruko. With a wave of the hand, they were dismissed.

"Augh! I can't believe him!" cried Deidara, kicking an invisible rock outside of the leader's chambers.

"Calm yourself, Deidara." Sasori rumbled. "Leader's decision is final. We must simply bear with it. She can sleep in the middle of our room, between the beds. We'll set up another one."

"But I don't want to!" Deidara whined, turning to look at Sasori. The bulgy figure only shuffled down the hall ahead of him. The blonde blew upwards on the thick mass of hair over his left eye in annoyance. The large bulky puppet disappeared through the door to their room. Deidara walked to the kitchen. There was a note addressed to him on the fridge.

"Blondie: prepare the written test. –Hidan" he read aloud. "She's made it that far? This… Hyuuga Hinata? Sasori! Sasori no danaa!" Deidara ran down the hall, flinging the door to their room open. Sasori sat on the bed, Hiruko at rest on the floor. His arms were up, as though in mid-stretch.

"Yes?" he called, somewhat annoyed at his partner for the noise.

"She's at the third test!" Deidara blurted, looking wide-eyed.

"Impossible." He replied simply, arching his back. Sasori slumped over on the bed as a silent dismissal.

"Hidan left me a note. We have to prepare." Deidara said very seriously.

"You're really not kidding?" the puppet asked, sitting upright. His partner nodded gravely.

"She has a fighting chance for membership."

0oOo0

A pair of white Hyuuga eyes snapped to the right. There was an absolute silence. Itachi signaled her quietly. The noise had come from a tree only a few meters away. She nodded to acknowledge him. Five backs touched, forming a defensive pentagon. A kunai landed at Hinata's feet, breaking the heavy wall of silence. She felt cold fear and adrenaline rush through her veins. About a minute ago, an unnatural noise was heard, and the lack natural ambience alerted the group to the presence of another ninja. Veins pushed up around her eyes as she scanned quickly. Several figures surrounded them, most being bunshin clones.

"I got you!" called one of the ninja, leaping in an orange blur from his hiding spot. Five bunshin followed him, each one a headache of color.

"Naruto!" Hinata yelled, mostly in surprise. She couldn't think. Kisame was restrained by a bunshin before he could react. The other four had dodged. The shark flipped Naruto's bunshin over his shoulder, causing it to disappear in a flash of smoke. Naruto pushed off from a nearby tree, trying to slash Itachi with a kunai. He bent out of the way, leaving Hinata unguarded. She hissed as the blade sliced through her shoulder, shooting pain through the surrounding area. The Hyuuga clutched the large gash, wincing as more blood spilled around her. Her knees landed in the pool of blood; she hunched over in pain. Kisame ran to her side, blocking her from any more attacks physically. Naruto seemed horror-stricken.

"Hinata!" he yelled before a dark haired boy pulled him away, back into the surrounding foliage.

"Hina, daijobu ka?" Kisame whispered, cradling her gently.

"Hai," she replied, though her voice was strained. She gasped in pain as another surge of blood fell from her wound.

"Itachi! Bandages, quickly!" he yelled, panicking slightly. Hidan dropped his scythe and pulled Kakuzu over.

"Easy, Hidan." He muttered in annoyance. Kisame pulled off the black jacket and tore the sleeve of her dark t-shirt from hem to neckline. Kakuzu leaned over the girl as green chakra flowed from his hands.

"Shush." He whispered in a caring manner, something Kakuzu was not known to do. Slowly, the wound sealed itself, leaving a seeping cut. Itachi pulled a few bandages from his pack. Kakuzu moved aside for him. Hinata had been whimpering silently the whole time. The Uchiha circled her arm thrice with the thick gauze.

"Too much blood… loss." She whispered roughly, her eyelids drooping. Kisame measured the volume of the puddle with his eyes.

"Get some rest, Hina." He murmured, catching her as she fell. The shark lifted her bridal style, while Itachi collected her jacket. Hidan muttered a short prayer and finished by kissing the circular Jashin symbol on the end of his rosary. The sad quiet that settled over them was like that of a funeral, though her wound was not fatal.

0oOo0

They traveled in silence with the unconscious girl, passing her from person to person when whoever was holding her became exhausted. Kisame still put in the most effort, feeling responsible for not protecting her. Itachi felt the most guilt, though showed or said nothing. By the time they arrived at the Akatsuki base, she had regained consciousness.

Hinata whimpered as she woke, still feeling the aftereffects of battle. Kisame, who was carrying her at the time, froze mid-stride. Hidan rushed over, peering with concern at the young girl. She opened her eyes halfway, still feeling tired.

"Hinata, we have arrived at the base." Kisame muttered softly. "Would you like to rest? Deidara and Sasori should've prepared you a room by now…"

She smiled, a tired smile, and nodded slightly. Blood trickled from a corner of her mouth, and she felt a tightening in her chest that caused her to wince. Itachi took notice of this, though said nothing.

'_That was not related to her shoulder injury…'_ He thought. _'Could she have had a previous injury? One that continues to affect her?'_

Kisame paced quickly down the dark hallway with her, rounding the corner to Deidara and Sasori's room.

0oOo0


	12. Chapter 12

0oOo0

Hinata remembered the first training she had ever undergone. She was 5 years old, and Iruka-sensei had just taught her the basics of taijutsu. Her family built upon this, teaching her beginning, intermediate, and advanced Jyuuken. Kurenai-sensei taught her mid-level genjutsu at age 9, marveling at her precocious ability. Neji improved her Jyuuken greatly from ages 12 to 14. Kiba helped her improve her sense of smell. Shino educated her in the language of nature. But the most important skill she had ever learned came from herself. The Issai Hitotoki no Byakugan (white eye of all time) was a rare mutation of the Hyuuga bloodline. It allowed the possessor to view time as a whole: past, present, future. Nobody has any idea of where this mutation originated, but only three accounts of it have been recorded in the entire Hyuuga lineage (besides Hinata herself): Hyuuga Hikaru, one of the original founders of the Hyuuga clan, often known as 'Hikaru no Obaa-sama', Hyuuga Hinoiri, an exiled member who lived around the time of the third Hokage, and Hyuuga Hinode, Hinata's grandmother. Hinata remember her eyes distinctly, the kind of eyes that swallowed you whole, and that wrapped you in silver. The kind of eyes that could swirl with any emotion and consume you with it. Hinata received a great deal of comfort from Hinode upon her mother's death. Hinode would speak of her mother's childhood, and how much Hinata resembled her by the weak ginger glow of the dying fire. When the fire died, Hinata would be sent to bed with a glass of milk and a kiss on the nose.

She absentmindedly touched the spot with her first finger, smiling carefully, but as she did so, her shoulder throbbed in protest. Where was she? Her eyes flickered open to the edge of a kunai and a sardonic 'good morning'.

0oOo0

Akasuna no Sasori hunched within Hiruko, scornfully contemplating the girl's injury. What could have made her cough blood? He raised an eyebrow as she brought her finger to her nose with a soft smile on her face.

'_What the hell is she thinking about?'_ he wondered. Sasori wanted so badly to cut that finger off, though his kunai stopped short as she opened her eyes.

"Good morning." He said sarcastically. She inhaled sharply, reflexively shrinking away from the blade. Hiruko's mechanical arm flipped the blade back into the confines of its dark cloak. She shook her head, ruffling her short bangs in an innocent manner. This little gosling killed for a living?

"Who are you?" she asked, her white eyes tracing the intricate painting on the wall.

"Akasuna no Sasori." He replied listlessly. Hiruko lumbered out of the room abruptly. Hinata followed him with her eyes until he vanished around the corner. She fell back into the white futon, critiquing the small white birds painted on the ceiling. On one side of the room, a different style of painting portrayed the dark hues of Suna at night. The rippling sand was beautifully captured, as was the glowing orb of the white moon. On the other side of the room, a vast green field was painted, brimming with a blue flower indigenous to earth country. She barely noticed a blonde head peeking from the grass. Each blade seemed to dance in the invisible wind.

"Whose painted this?" she asked herself, folding her arms behind her head.

0oOo0

"Oh, shut up, will you!" Neji snapped.

"But—Hina--" Naruto blubbered, wiping his eyes.

"She's fine." The Hyuuga prodigy assured, his tone softening some. Hesitantly, he cupped Naruto's shoulder. "Hey…"

The blonde buried his face in the black sleeves of his jacket, his form shuddering.

"How could I have made such a stupid mistake? What was I thinking?" he mumbled, his voice muted through the folds of black cloth.

"You weren't thinking. But we'll get her back, nonetheless. I saw them near an odd rock formation to the north." He pondered. "We'll try there. Now, get off your miserable ass and help me find her!"

Neji yanked the blonde up firmly by the sleeve.

0oOo0

Deidara scribbled quickly on the clean white paper, thinking up the best questions he could.

"The volume of a bomb relating to the explosion size… The speed of a kunai thrown at X number of Newtons of force with a contrary wind traveling at X MPH… " He muttered, straining to keep his carpals intact. The test was three pages long so far. This would do.

"Sasori no danaa! Yatta! I finished the test, un!" he called, bolting down the hall, followed by a flock of white paper, fluttering like birds. The young Iwa Nin caught sight of Hiruko's lumbering back, and dropping his precious papers, leap-frogged over the puppet.

"You shouldn't do that." Hiruko's deep voice drawled, snatching the test from the floor. He scrutinized it carefully. "Nice work, Deidara." Hiruko grinned in a forced mechanical manner. "She won't survive this."

0oOo0

"Hinata?" Kisame called softly. The door to her shared room was ajar.

"Hai?" came her response.

"You're awake." He said, sounding slightly shocked. The girl sat up to see his tall figure in the doorway. Kisame's cloak was gone, revealing a dark blue T-shirt with mesh at the low neckline. It displayed his muscled chest and abs nicely. She gazed down at her own torn shirt, sporting bloody bandages instead of a right sleeve.

It was then that she noticed the wet cloth and fresh white gauze in Kisame's hand. Wordlessly, he knelt beside the futon as she slid her shirt out of the way, though not enough to expose herself. Hinata looked away as he stripped the moist red bandages from her shoulder.

"It's sealing up nicely." He muttered, his attention consumed with the task at hand. Kisame forbade his eyes to wander along her creamy, bloodstained skin. He would never be able to forgive himself if he looked. Her muscles twitched suddenly, though she remained silent.

"Sorry," he whispered, inhaling sharply in sympathy. Kisame softened the movement of the wet cloth across the broken skin.

He set aside the moist red rag and set about wrapping the bandages around her arm. As Hinata watched the steady rhythm of his movement out of the corner of her eye, she said:

"Who painted this room?"

"Deidara and Sasori." He replied, glancing up at the ceiling to the delicate winged creatures painted there.

"They are… quite talented." She marveled, absorbing the sight again.

"Done." Kisame said, rising to stand. "Oh, um…"

Hinata gazed at him questioningly.

"They've prepared the third test. This one is for the cloak."

With that, he left.

'_He's not telling me something…'_ she thought.

0oOo0

Hinata stumbled into Deidara, blinded by the sudden darkness. This was the room she was to take the third test in? His hands found her shoulders, resting gingerly on the injured one, and he guided her to a small desk and chair. A lamp flickered on above her. The single beam of light blinded her again.

"You may begin when ready." Deidara called, his footsteps echoing softer until Hinata was sure if his departure. She gripped the slender pencil resting on the desk, twirling it absently. Without another moment's hesitation, she flipped over the crisp white paper and observed the first question.

'_This is just like the Chuunin exams… But can I cheat? And where from?'_ she wondered, mulling over the first question. The rest became more difficult progressively. _'The first three are within my capabilities. But the rest… is a test of another color. Gathering information from limited resources.'_

The first three were solved quickly and easily, her pencil scratching out the answers with minimal effort. Hinata furrowed her brow at the fourth.

'_This is impossible. This question is illogical.' _She thought, thinking it over once more. It was a complex equation involving wide variables meant to calculate the possible flight path of a panicking person. Something about it didn't make sense. She tried over and over until the neat white box was filled with gray indents from her erasing. In deep thought, she ran her fingers over the smooth black print.

'_Smooth.'_ She thought, her eyes narrowing. One particular spot in the text caught her eye. Or rather, her fingertips. Hinata passed her hand over it again.

'_Brail! There are brail markings on this test!'_

Sure enough, she caught sight of the trademark six dot rectangles lightly imprinted within the ink of each letter.

'_A true ninja must see beneath the underneath, and feel where he cannot see.'_ She grinned inwardly.

The message, being small, was hard to decode, but gradually, it came to her. The time flew by as she focused on her task, scratching out words painfully.

"C…Con…Conf—no. Congra…" she whispered. "Congratulations. You…You passed. I passed?"

She glanced around the dark room from her fiercely lit seat. Slowly, the light diminished and spread, revealing a moderately sized room, painted white with wood floors.

"The third test is over!" Came Deidara's voice. He skipped through the doorway behind her, grinning like a child. "Congratulations… Hi-na-taaaa!" he sang, twirling her about in the air. "I'm sooo happy you don't have to be killed off yet! Honestly, if you'd of failed this one, I might have been rather irate for a few days! I like you quite a bit, Hina, you're a real charmer!"

"Killed?" she gasped.

"Oh ya. Forgot to mention. If you fail a test from here on out, you get killed. Can't have you walking free with all this info on our organization, can we?" he replied nonchalantly.

0oOo0

omg, the stakes have risen. Sorry for the long update. I've been sick… it suuuuuucks…


	13. Chapter 13

0oOo0

Hinata awoke, slick and sticky with cold sweat. Her hair clung uncomfortably to her face. She made shaky motions with her hands to banish the small strands. She felt her diaphragm push relentlessly for desperately needed air. The heaving, ragged, unstable breaths continued for minutes on end. It was a dream. Only a dream. The scene replayed in her mind.

"_No! It was your fault I left! Don't you __**dare**__ try to win me back." Hinata snapped, her voice colder than she could ever have imagined. Her black and red cloak, ripped and stained, swirled in the watery gusts of wind that blew rain across her face. She held a katana in one hand, pointed firmly at the whimpering figure at her feet. Naruto was near tears, full of wounds and heartache. _

"_Hina…ta… I only wanted… to bring you back. We've lost Sasuke… you too?" he coughed, his words disjointed by pain. _

"_You've scorned me once. You won't live to do it again!" she called, lunging for him. _

"_It was Hiashi—uh!" he screamed, breaking off as the katana slid through him sickeningly, spilling his warmth on the cold ground. Hinata froze in disbelief. _

"_Hiashi…? No… I won't… I won't believe you!" she screamed, twisting the blade. The blonde convulsed in response._

"_He doesn't want you to be the heir…" Naruto moaned, tears finally spilling over. Blood dribbled down his chin. _

"_You mean to say…" she seethed, "That my betrayal was based on a trick from my low-life father? I could've stayed… with my family? With my friends? I could've made things right?" _

Hinata was near tears.

"This can't happen." She whispered, almost positive that this was a premonition.

0oOo0

The next morning, Hinata thanked every god she knew of that her dream had not awoken anyone, namely, her new roommates Sasori and Deidara. Trying to stay inconspicuous, she twisted the dented brass door handle gently, pushing the door out with the utmost care. The need to be stealthy seemed imminent, though the cause of this instinct was beyond her. She left the door open, not wanting to risk making a noise again by closing it. Maybe the early hour compelled her to be on the safe side, or rather, the quiet side.

Hinata rounded the corner into the kitchen. There were several cabinets, each a warm wood, and the countertops were a sort of red-orange flecked granite, mostly grey. The counter stretched out to form a sort of three-walled enclosure, with one side fully open. The empty side continued the line of the hallway. If Hinata had gone straight, she would have passed the kitchen/dining area and have ended up in the wide-open rec. area, complete with a large E-shaped black sofa.

She opened the freezer and pulled out a package of beef. For some reason, she had little trouble finding anything. It was fairly simple. Silverware was in the drawer by the sink, dishes were in the cabinet above that, dry food was in the pantry, canned food next to it, etc. She assembled a few ingredients for a simple stir-fry (She realized exactly how late it was after looking at the grey kitchen clock and finding both hands to be on 11). Figuring the other members to be out somewhere (due to the late hour) she began cooking. The meat hit the pan with a satisfying sizzle, twitching in the oil and heat. It was then that she noticed the presence of five Akatsuki members. They sat at the large table behind her. Just watching. She froze. IT seemed as though she made eye contact with all of them simultaneously: Itachi, Kisame, Sasori, Deidara, and Hidan.

"Oh… Ohayo…?" she muttered, barely remembering to stir the meat. They simply looked at her, in her tank top and shorts, her hair disheveled from sleep. She turned around quickly, feeling their gaze.

"Ano…" she began, dishing up the meat. "Would you all, uh, like some?"

All five of them smirked at the same time.

'_I remember this. I saw this happening.'_ She thought, throwing more beef and vegetables into the pan.

0oOo0

As Hinata walked down the hallway to her room for a change of clothes after breakfast, she noticed something strange. A kind of familiar thing, subtle, warm. What it was escaped her.

As she walked through to her shared quarters, Hinata inhaled deeply to relax herself. That's when it hit her. It was a scent, strong now. Not unpleasant, but overwhelming once recognized. She had smelled this before, when Itachi loomed over her that fateful night, when Kisame voiced his affections, when Kakuzu healed her carefully. This was male, this was testosterone. And here she was, the only female.

'_Dear Kami, what have I gotten myself into?' _

0oOo0

"We need a plan of action. I suggest we strike directly at them." Neji muttered, deep in thought. Naruto could almost hear him thinking, feel the low hum of gears. "Though the location of their base, if any, is unknown."

"But if Hinata is injured," Naruto began. "Where did they take her? We're practically nowhere."

"Hn. You're right. They must have some kind of shelter. That rock formation perhaps? I saw them head in that direction after your little ambush." Neji replied, subtly reprimanding the boy for acting so hastily. "We should check it out. They must have to leave sometime."

"Neji." Naruto said, interrupting him slightly. A moment of silence passed through their small camp, wind whistling invisibly though the surrounding wood. "I'm sorry. About hurting her."

"You should think. Think before you take action. The wound was not fatal, though I'm sure it will prevent them from changing locations. That is, if they treat her with any kind of care, which they must to a certain degree, if the plan is to use her as a weapon. The Akatsuki are known for several mysterious jutsu, often forbidden. They must have one that can be used to control minds to some extent. Remember Yuura? He was under Sasori's mind block. Certainly a formidable tactic."

"Then, we search?" Naruto asked.

"We search. We have three days, maximum. By then, that masked man, Kakuzu, will have healed her. I felt the use of medical chakra soon after we left."

"This curtails our search, doesn't it?"

"Hai. There's not much time before they're on the move again. I suggest we use my Byakugan to find suspicious areas within its range, and then investigate any areas that draw our attention."

"That's Neji. Always efficient."

0oOo0

Later that evening:

"To Hinata! Our new little—" Deidara hiccupped. "Our new little—little—uh—"

Sasori patted him on the back impatiently, though his movement was also hoppled by the alcohol. Hidan sat slumped, beginning to feel it slowing him down. Itachi had a slight pink tinge from the sake, and Kisame grinned.

"Hina… have some…" Kisame began, slurring his speech heavily. "Have… sake? Would you?"

Hinata giggled at him, realizing that the small cup she had already ingested was having an effect on her. Itachi rolled his gaze across the table of intoxicated ninja, looking humorously somber, swaying with inebriation. Kakuzu snickered, his head resting on the tabletop. The sake was passed again and again, each round bringing more jollity. Deidara and Sasori eventually retired, the puppet master dragging a limp and rambling blonde man down the hall.

"Do you know why… why I fit, aha, fight?" he raved, his words melting with one another.

"Just, just you chut up…" Sasori replied, sounding only slightly inebriated.

"Well, once more." Hidan called, lifting his sake cup. "To Hinata! Our almost newest member person ha!" He sloshed down the rest of the glass.

"Hinata. Psssssssst. Hi-na-ta!" Kisame whispered. "Wanna sleep over in my house—room? It'll be fun! We can aaaaalll sleep in the same bed even! Itachi won't mind, he's already asleep…"

Hinata giggled a bit too hard. This was the night that she realized exactly how little it takes to get her drunk. Kisame, on the other hand, had drunk nearly twice as much, but was only slightly more intoxicated than her.

"It's funny. You—you're not that drunk. You had like, eighteen cups!" she laughed.

"Psssshhhh! Eighteen… more like… twen-tyyyy!" he crooned, laughing along with her.

"Ita—Itachi! Oi! I think he's gone—he's asleep!" Hinata sighed, poking him in the cheek. Itachi had passed out straight-backed in his chair. Kisame wordlessly picked him up, slinging his unconscious form over his shoulder like a sack.

"Come on, Hina!" he called, leaving behind the two immortals, now passed out on the table. "Come have a sleepover with us!" The drunken grin on his face grew a little wider, though contained only good, yet drunken, intentions. She stumbled after him, laughing at her own clumsiness.

0oOo0

They laughed about nothing in particular, occasionally glancing at Itachi's form on the bed next to them. Kisame and Hinata sat cross-legged, facing one another.

"And then—no—and then," Kisame burst into a fit of giggles, joined by Hinata. "He was like, 'well you know, I have—I never did like _pigs!_'" Hinata fell over laughing, resting her head on Itachi's stomach carelessly.

"Dude! That's—That's--!"

"I know! I KNOW!" Kisame laughed. "Woah. I feel really tired allofasudden…"

Hinata yawned.  
"Me… me too. We should rest."

"Yeah. Yeah."

They both shared another laugh, though there was really nothing to laugh about. Kisame tumbled over onto the bed, lying next to Hinata, also using Itachi as an impromptu pillow.

"Ha! I—I love this place! I love you guys! You—I love _you_, man!" Hinata giggled softly, rolling over to face Kisame.  
"I--I do too. I love everyone here. I love you… and Itachi. I love…I love Itachi."

They both trailed off, succumbing to the enclosing fog of sleep.

0oOo0

No smexing involved! Hinata and Kisame did not smex! Just for clarity.


	14. Chapter 14

0oOo0

In the transitional periods of sleep and wake, Hinata remembered a time when she received some very wise advice from Kiba.

"Hinata," he had said. "The reason I love my family so much is because it's like… running as a pack. We all work together, supporting, a sound structure from the inside to the outside. Do you get it? Like, me and my sis, we're always arguing, but I really love her deep down, and I know that when I'm in need, my pack will help me. We live together, we fight together. Just like, you, Shino, and I. We're always together, always helping. Now do you see? That's why I love you guys. We're a pack; we're a family."

Hinata rolled this around in her head for a while, shifting in the dry, drowsy heat that surrounded her. Her hand met skin. Carefully, she opened her eyes. Kisame was on his side, Hinata's head resting in the crook of his waist. Her hand was on his arm; he was cloak-less for the first time she had seen. His arm guards had been tossed to the floor, leaving him in his pants and a rather tight, high-necked tank top. Slowly, she remembered falling asleep in his room, and hoped nothing had happened. Though if something had, wouldn't she be sans clothing as well? Hinata was still fully clothed, however, so she figured not. The entire time, while contemplating, she dare not move.

There was another warmth on the bed, a body behind her, hands loosely wrapped around her waist, a face buried in the cusp of her shoulder. When Hinata noticed a lock of dark hair falling over her neck, she knew: Itachi. A slow, throbbing headache developed just behind her temples. She fell back into the welcome warmth of sleep amongst the two men. This certainly reminded her of how dogs slept: in a heap with one another. Living as a pack.

0oOo0

When she finally found the strength to move, she did it like an exemplary shinobi. Neither of her bedmates had been disturbed. Hinata crept to the kitchen. Not a soul had awoken. She smiled to herself. She felt at home.

Pulling a few ingredients from the cupboard, Hinata prepped for a simple egg dish. No doubt everyone would be in hangover hell.

'_I should check up on everyone… just in case.'_

Hinata walked down the hallway slowly, waiting for the ibuprofen she had just downed to kick in. The first room appeared to be Hidan and Kakuzu's.

The door opened with only a whisper of air. It then slammed shut. Hinata sat, blushing furiously, back pressing against it. Her eyes closed tightly. She wanted to squeal, but couldn't. Instead, a very quiet squeak escaped her.

"I did not just see what I thought I saw," she repeated quietly, trying to banish the image of Hidan and Kakuzu wrapped up in each other's arms. "Just, ha, never mind them…" she whispered reassuringly. This would most definitely never be spoken of.

The next room belonged to her closest friends, Itachi and Kisame. Surprisingly enough, they were up. Of course, in the state she saw them in, they had no chance of noticing her. Kisame was shirtless, Hinata saw, and Itachi was over him. In all her life, Hinata had not seen two people kiss so fervently. Or noisily. She simply shut the door and moved on, despite the still raging blush and another squeal threatening to rise. Deciding against it, she found that she did not want to know what Deidara and Sasori had been or were doing. If they were even together, that is. After more thought, she still didn't want to know. Figuring a fragrant breakfast would revive everyone, that is the morning activity she busied herself with.


	15. Chapter 15

Sorry for the incredibly long update! This chapter is extra-long!

Enjoy!

0oOo0

Itachi heard the door click softly behind him. Only Hinata. A moan escaped him as Kisame pushed on his hips.

"M-maa… Kisame…" Itachi whimpered, pulling away from the kiss.

"Itachi? Something wrong?" Kisame asked concernedly, his voice lowering to a whisper. The shorter shinobi shook his head, but kept it turned to the side as he spoke.

"K-Kisame. I'm ready now."

"Ready? For what?" The shark queried, pulling the other man closer.

"I mean, Hidan and Kakuzu's relationship has progressed to that level, and now…"

"You want--? I, uh…" Kisame sputtered, flushing. "H-how would we--?"

"Depends. Would you mind if I was, ah, seme?" Itachi said softly.

"I love you. It wouldn't matter." Kisame muttered.

"Agreed. Tonight, then?"

"Well… if you truly believe that… that you're ready. Then I trust you."

"I love you. I love you too much to wait any longer. I _need_ you, Kisame."

"It's settled then. This evening."

0oOo0

Hidan awoke to the smell of eggs. A smile of contentment graced his fine features.

"I love having her around already…" he mumbled drowsily. An ache shot through his forehead, sending masochistic shivers down his spine. This is what the immortal loved most about getting drunk. He pressed into Kakuzu, whose eyes fluttered open soon after.

"Morning…"

"Morning." Hidan replied. "How ya' doin'?

"You know I don't get hangovers… not human enough."

Hidan leaned closer to his partner.

"You know…" He breathed into Kakuzu's ear, changing the topic entirely. "I don't think we've been having enough sex…"

Kakuzu chuckled wearily.

"That's because you tire me out too fast. Bastard…"

Hidan frowned slightly.

"Can I help it if I want you so much?"

"You could try giving me more control…"

"But you're already the dominant one!"

"How can you be so feisty this early…?"

"Fuck you!"

"You already did. Now put some damn pants on, Romeo…"

Hidan reluctantly rolled out of Kakuzu's embrace and sat up on the edge of the bed. He watched as the other man's hollow eyes traced up his bare back.

"You're a real pervert, you know…" Hidan scoffed.

0oOo0

Not long after the smell of food permeated every inch of space in the roomy quarters did the six most sociable operatives (Deidara, Hidan, Kisame, Kakuzu, Sasori, and Itachi) of the Akatsuki stumble forth from their rooms. Hinata smiled warmly at each of them, offering medication and food. Hidan, naturally, didn't take the pain relievers. As soon as the feverish aura dissipated, casual banter swelled in the modest dining area.

Until a schizophrenic, bi-colored, ex-Grass Nin stepped over the threshold sourly. Silence fell.

"Leader-sama wishes to see Hinata-san in his chamber." He stated, almost sardonically. With that, he vanished with a small hurricane of loose grass strands. The Hyuuga waited, dwelling in the uncomfortable silence, merely staring in sheer disbelief at the settling blades. Wordlessly, she walked out of the dining room, eyes following her all the way.

0oOo0

Darkness seemed to suffocate her, and Hinata was fairly sure that if it weren't for the few ceremonial candles, she might have choked on her own nervousness.

"Stop."

She obeyed immediately. A rough figure appeared before her, appearing as only another shadow. Two piercing eyes gazed out, their distance from her indeterminable. Hinata held fast.

"Last night, " His voice rang out, falling in the dark. It was not cold, nor inviting, merely indifferent. "It has come to my attention that you neglected to return to your assigned quarters."

"Y-you see, I—"

"Your excuses are futile. I need no excuse. Fear not, Hinata-san, you have done no wrong. From now on, as a measure of equality for all members, you will alternate rooms. Your sleeping pattern so far has been to move from the back of the hallway to the opposite end, therefore you will be with Kakuzu and Hidan tonight. Dismissed."

She wasted no time escaping the immaterial clutches of that darkened room.

0oOo0

The overlarge, E-shaped couch contained several brooding men, each one draped over it lazily, mulling over Hinata's fate. Hidan sat in one of the cushioned corners, his knees drawn up anxiously. The other five men knew just as well as he that Hinata might not return from the darkened office. The immortal's rosy orbs traced along the black fabric of the couch.

"Well, there are two things…" Hinata began, standing in the doorway. Twelve eyes looked up in relief. "Tomorrow night, I'll be sleeping in your room, Kakuzu, Hidan, on Leader-sama's orders. Also, I'm ready for the final test. "

"Ano, Hinata… Your wound may not have healed fully. May I?" Kakuzu intoned. She nodded demurely. Sitting stiffly beside Kakuzu, he began undressing her wound.

"Ne, I have an idea!" Hidan sparkled suddenly. "We're all home for another day at least, why don't we take a bath? I swear, the onsen out back is being neglected…"

"There's an onsen here?" Hinata asked dumbly.

"Yeah! It's nice and clean and hot, too! We even have gender separated pools…" Hidan answered.

"Baka. You forgot about Byaku. She's always back there, just lounging in the water. She never comes out, except for missions. Even then, we've never seen her completely." Kakuzu muttered, focusing his attentions on Hidan momentarily.

"I'm not afraid. I'll go to the female side." Hinata ventured.

"If you say so…" Deidara mumbled.

"Meet us outside, at the training field, when you finish." Itachi instructed. "We're going to test you then."

0oOo0

I'm coming in. Sorry to disturb you." Hinata called into the steam. The cloak hanging outside had indicated occupancy of this room. She caught the sound of several falling water droplets echoing thickly through the steam.

"You are the new member, ne? Call me Byaku. You must be Hinata."

As she lowered herself into the water, Hinata saw a few tendrils of light blue hair ebb lazily below the surface. She replied to the unseen person, the mysterious rich alto that lost resonance in the dense air.

"Hai. Pleased to meet you, Byaku-san." She called out pleasantly. This woman seemed nice, despite a slight chill that accompanied her voice. The temperature around her fluctuated curiously.

"You have a question, don't you?" Byaku queried, a lilt of tinkling laughter shimmering in her voice.

"Hai. Why are you always back here?" Hinata asked, mindlessly tracing soap over her arms and chest.

"It is a very long story, young one. It relates to my technique. The Leader, when he became leader, was very close to me. We were lovers. He allowed me to charge my technique in here forever, surrounded by comfort."

By this time, Hinata was washing her hair. With a slosh of water, the soap ran back into the spring.

"It was nice meeting you, Byaku-san." The Hyuuga called, stepping from the water.

0oOo0

Meticulously packed weapons stung with cold against the Hyuuga's skin. She had concealed (with the help of Tenten's old counsel) literally hundreds of weapons, hoping that she would not have to resort to cold steel for this test. Her chakra was burning with anticipation, and thankfully, Hinata had more than she knew what to do with. In every sense, she was over prepared. Her old blue and white jacket rested familiarly over her shoulders, concealing a simple undershirt. Neji's shorts (that she had borrowed eons ago) hung off of her hips in a comfortable way, though just beneath the black fabric rested more weaponry.

Hinata practiced her seals in a random order before walking out into the blazing summer sun.

When her eyes adjusted, she saw before her every member (excluding Byaku and Leader) standing there in full uniform. Only now did she realize that they were enemies. Enemies of everything she had stood for. But that was once, seemingly long ago. This was her future. Embracing this, she stepped forward, greeting them shortly.

"Hinata-san. This is your test: choose a member to battle. The first person to be killed or rendered unable to fight is the winner." Itachi explained, his visage stolid and serious. Her mind reeled with possibilities, battle outcomes, information on each member, rumors, and personalities.

'_Easy Hina' _she thought._ 'Let's be rational about this. The members that I've heard the most about would have to be everyone but Zetsu. Deidara is a long-range fighter: I could handle it with some elemental jutsu or long-range weapons. But I don't know all of his techniques. It's too risky.'_

She scanned over Deidara, moved to Sasori.

'_If Sakura is reliable, he's too difficult. My Byakugan and Jyuuken skills would certainly counter his multiple attack style, however, but I just don't have enough information on him._'

Her eyes passed over Zetsu to Itachi.

'_His reputation seems too scary. I don't want to fight him. The possibilities are endless, and there is too little to go on, for him and Kisame.'_

Hidan and Kakuzu returned her analytical gaze.

_'Kakuzu is too clever for me. I'd be dead in less than fifteen minutes. Hidan however…If Shikamaru's reports are anything to go on, which I'm sure they are, he's immortal. Shikamaru said that he'll draw a ruin and stand in it, and upon consuming his opponents blood, will deal damage to them via himself. It seems that that's his only trick, but I must be careful. He may still harbor others. If I can conquer that at least, I'll be able to neutralize him after that.'_

"Hidan." She finally spoke. The name dropped like a dead bird in the clear, cold silence.

"Very well." Itachi sighed, inwardly relieved that he did not have to fight and kill the poor girl. With Hidan, she had already won once. The Uchiha sorely hoped that she had better reasons than that for choosing the immortal.

The other members stepped away, retreating to a safe observational distance. Without hesitation, Hidan saluted the girl, throwing his cloak away. His scythe reared up threateningly, though froze in the air.

"Begin." Intoned Itachi, serving as a moderator. The triple blades flashed together as Hidan hurled it with sickening speed. Hinata barely managed to avoid it, ducking down, and surrendering a good few inches of hair. Dust rose from the ground as the scythe hit, quickly yanked back by the immortal. Hinata was gone. Hidan peered suspiciously at his surroundings. The earth lurched beneath his feet. The palm of a former clan heiress thrust into his chin, sending Hidan flying upwards and back with the force of it.

"Sorry!" Hinata called, wincing as Hidan picked himself up painfully. Blood ran from a corner of his mouth.

"S'cool." He called back, smearing the blood with the back of his hand. A breathy smile touched his face, in anticipation of the fight to come. "That was a good one... Try this!"

Hidan lunged forward, swinging the scythe recklessly at Hinata. The speed of his first attack had diminished; Hinata read every move. Slipping under the heavy weapon, she attempted another strike. Veins bulged thick under the fair skin of her temples.

"Two palms!"

Hidan reeled back, but the girl was far from finished. Each series of strikes lashed out faster than the set before it, Hinata crushing his chakra points mercilessly.

"Four palms! Eight palms! Sixteen palms! Thirty-two palms! Sixty-four palms!" With a burst of energy, she put her Jyuuken training to full use. "One hundred and Twenty eight palms!" Hidan had only a moment more of rest as he stumbled back, dark spots appearing where his chakra flow stopped.

"TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY-SIX PALMS!"

The sound of her strikes rang out fiercely, the rapid fire sending Hidan spinning off in the dirt. For a moment, all was still. Hinata's breath became heavy, as she stood in fighting stance, waiting for the dust to settle and for a winner to be decided. Itachi watched, ready to call it if Hidan did not rise. Breathless laughter emanated from where Hidan lay, shrouded in dust. The scythe shot out, striking Hinata's shoulder. The dust settled soon after. A delicate panic laced through Hinata as she saw what was before her. The immortal chuckled again, the ruin of Jashin at his feet.

"Now," he chuckled, tasting her thick, sweet blood from the scythe. "The fun can begin."

Hinata's breath caught suddenly.

0oOo0


	16. Chapter 16

0oOo0

Hinata whimpered as the ruins of death spread over Hidan's flesh, staining a sickly black color.

"Let's have some fun, shall we?" He cackled, raising a sharp pike from the folds of his cloak where it lay, crumpled nearby in the dirt. The Hyuuga shrieked as he drove the pike clean through his bicep. Blood drained from the appendage; Hinata felt slightly nauseous.

'_I have to stop this now… before he kills me…'_ she thought, sifting through memories of Shikamaru's story for a plan.

"One odd thing about the guy," The Shadow user droned. "He never left that circle of his."

Her eyes widened. That was it. With a quick summoning of chakra, she thrust forward a palm.

"Hakke kusho!"

Hidan scoffed, twirling the staff.

"You think that your little punches work from there—"

He reeled back slightly, nearly stepping over the boundary of his God, as a burst of air impacted on his chest. Hinata recoiled similarly, feeling the effect of her own attack.

'_If I'm going to try this, I have to do it right!'_ She self-reprimanded. Abandoning long distance attacks, Hinata rushed at the immortal in a sudden panic. Hidan had little time to react.

As she crashed into him, the same force affected her. The dust rose around them again, obscuring the surrounding trees and observers. Hinata coughed, squirming away from Hidan's downed form. He groaned, the morbid tattoos of his curse receding. The now misshapen circle lay just over a meter away. Hinata pulled herself over the man, twisting his limbs into a clever hold that Lee had taught her. Hidan struggled fiercely, but managed only to knock them both over. Hinata would not relent. Dust settled finally.

Itachi nearly gasped aloud. Hinata appeared to be the victor, having rendered Hidan unable to do anything.

The Hyuuga watched the back of his head warily, still locking the silver-haired man. He sighed, frustrated, finally relinquishing.

"I'm done here." He moaned, falling limp with resignation in Hinata's hold.

"Then Hinata wins. There is but one more test before your full membership." Itachi intoned, rushing over and lifting her from the ground.

"Fuck." Hidan mumbled, picking himself up gradually. "I owe a sacrifice of contrition for this transgression…" As the other members dispersed, the immortal stayed, intoning the guttural pagan prayer that would begin his ceremony.

Hinata looked back at him once more, their eyes meeting. Hidan looked upon her with a gleam of respect, and his mouth formed a brief smile during the tuneless chants of Jashin.

0oOo0

As the immortal lay, nearly perfect in his stillness, he caught the noise of startled fowl rising through the night air. Something was coming. Something bad. His prayer near completion, Hidan simply set his guard, waiting. A terrible, fear-inspiring feeling captivated his senses; the backs of his knees tingled with the need to run. Adrenaline shot through him, blinding all but his basic instinct. The pike slid out slowly, squelching with his blood. He realized, at that moment, exactly what he was in for if he stayed out for another moment. Hidan was in no condition for a fight, and he could feel chakra burning only a few hundred meters away. Someone was absolutely livid, if only he knew whom. Retreating for the night, the fight was left for tomorrow. The stone closed behind him.

"Kakuzu." He called to the ancient shinobi, who was sitting placidly at the kitchen table. "Someone's coming."

0oOo0

In the dark, heated sanctuary of their room, Itachi and Kisame remained euphorically ignorant of the trouble ahead. The Uchiha slid in closer to his partner, still damp with perspiration. Never before had he felt so needed, so loved. Warmth blossomed deep within his chest; Itachi figured that his soul was in there somewhere. It had been awhile since he last felt it. Blissful, nonetheless, he fell victim to his ever-present fatigue. Ignorance cackled like a demon.

0oOo0

His eyes glowing red, Naruto was positively enraged. Sheer anger rushed through his veins, blood forgotten. Neji simply ran along behind him, staying clear of the boy's wrath.

"Those goddamn Akatsuki won't get away with this! Hinata will be back home, I'll make sure of it!"

Tears of pure rage streaked across his burning skin, only to evaporate on the furious chakra coiling within him, ready to strike at any moment. His true personality had long been dormant, now replaced by the Kyuubi's vengeance. As he darted to the region that Neji had seen Hinata fighting in, the foliage bent out of his path, the whip-like trunks of young trees snapping over like a bow.

"Neji, they'll pay for taking her! They'll die for taking her away from us! From me…

They took her away from me!"

His breathing became heavy and arrhythmic with fury.

"HINATA!"

0oOo0

Hinata slept uneasily that night, even in the presence of two immortal men. She could feel the stitches and scars of Kakuzu's back through both his cloak and her nightshirt, but it was a comforting presence, though she barely knew him yet. Hidan lay in front of her, a few strands of fine flaxen hair falling into his eyes. It was cute, how his closed eyes flicker with a dream, how his long, slender eyelashes would flutter suddenly. Hinata didn't usually watch people sleep, but it was a nice way to pass the endless, dreary hours of insomnia. She finally dozed off as the first birds of the day began calling into the dissipating dark. Hopefully, another late morning could be afforded. She didn't stay asleep for long. Dreams of gore and murder flooded her senses, dreams of slashing the seal on Naruto's stomach, of him screaming for mercy, dreams of Neji, tied and lashed, horrific things. Hinata cried out at herself, unable to make it stop. She was hurting them. Why?

"Hinata! Hinata, wake up!"

A strong, warm hand cupped her shoulder gently, jolting her awake. Hidan sat up, looking over her concernedly. It was his hand that had stirred her from that nightmare. Her eyes fluttered shut again, placing a hand over his.

"Thanks. I-I needed that."

"As long as you're okay." He responded.

"Have you had these dreams often?" Kakuzu asked in a professional manner. Hinata nodded.

"Since I came here, two nights out of three. The night we got drunk, I didn't dream, so…"

He nodded sagely.

"I can mix a remedy for you, if you like?" He offered. She declined politely. "Suit yourself."

Kakuzu closed his eyes in thought. "It seems that you harbor a fear of the future, stemming from your ability to see it. You also fear your past, worrying about it coming back to haunt you?"

Hinata gaped momentarily, before nodding. "This is a large step to take, joining us. Expect the nightmares to get worse as you progress."

0oOo0

The Hyuuga spoke little the rest of the day, merely sitting outdoors in the cold bright light. Everything seemed so bleak, so confusing. Not only that, but ominous as well. Every so often, Kisame would ghost by, glancing curiously but never approaching. He was obviously concerned. Around noon, she walked to the training field to watch Deidara spar with his partner. It cheered her up some, how he would joke and play, as though it was a mere game. Sasori was clearly annoyed, but said nothing throughout.

A shock of chakra ripped through the clearing, stirring the trees and animals. The utter silence that followed was painfully unnerving.

"_You bastards! Release her!_"


	17. Chapter 17

"Naruto-kun! Why— what? Y-you…" Hinata muttered. She could hardly believe it. The blonde seemed to calm a bit with the sight of Hinata.

"I'm taking you home." He said quietly, his eyes flickering red indecisively. "Neji's here too."

She felt hot tears form in her pale white eyes, ready to spill over at a moments notice.

"This is… too much…" She muttered, placing her fingertips over her lips.

"Ah, the Kyuubi brat has come back for more, has he? Hm." Deidara called from behind her. "Awfully stupid for attacking us on our own turf, yes?"

"You're too late. Her final trial is tomorrow. Either she stays, or she dies." Sasori said, feeling unprotected without Hiruko there. Both members stood behind the broken girl, staring down Naruto.

"She doesn't belong here! She belongs home!" He raged, preparing to attack.

"Naruto. Stop it."

Neji emerged from the surrounding foliage, his stern visage melting for Hinata's sake.

"Cousin. You must return."

Hinata withheld her tears.

"I can't. You heard them."

"Hinata, they won't kill you if we kill them first." Neji replied, glaring at the two missing nin.

"Nobody will be killing today."

Everyone turned. Sir Leader stood behind the group stolidly, his arms crossed.

"Hinata has joined us of her own free will. Nothing you can do will change that. If you leave now, without a fuss, I will grant you amnesty from the wrath of our organization. It will be futile to report our location to your superiors; we'll simply relocate. I believe your hands are tied."

His tri-ringed eyes glinted in satisfaction as the remaining members stepped into view behind him.

"Naruto. We're outnumbered. It's not worth dying, we'll find another way." Neji said quietly, putting his hand on the vessel's shoulder.

"You joined them… willfully?" Naruto asked softly, his clenched fists quivering.

"I didn't think it would matter anymore. You already told me, that day before I left, that you couldn't forgive me. It's… It's… It's your fault I left!" She cried, the tears finally releasing. Deidara's hand came to rest on her shoulder.

Neji stepped forward.

"I learned recently that Hiashi is at fault for that. Naruto said no such thing. The villagers still care about you Hinata."

"It is of no consequence now. Either Hinata stays, or she dies. I doubt you have the power to take her by force." Pein responded. "Will you except my previous offer?"

"Please. Just leave." Hinata begged. "I don't want to see you killed."

"Fine."

0oOo0

A bittersweet feeling overcame the girl as she slashed through her hitai-ate, severing all ties with Konoha. She was free from everything now, she was home. Kisame came up to her afterwards with a proud smile.

"Welcome to the family."

She hugged him tightly, realizing just then that the future was not limited.

"Pein-sama scheduled us a group mission three days from now. It's mostly to help you get cozy with the others."

He handed her a neat parcel, wrapped in clean white paper.

0oOo0

"Naruto, I have a plan." Neji said to break the silence. Naruto grinned, his features illumined in the glow of the campfire.

* * *

Hooray for the short chapter! 


	18. Chapter 18

0oOo0

0oOo0

Hinata dreamed well for the first time since her betrayal that night. Her first mission was tomorrow, and she felt acutely the knot of nervous joy that tightened erratically. Tonight, she slept in Itachi and Kisame's shared quarters. The shark-nin's massive chest rose against her softly, rhythmically, lulling her farther into a land of imaginings. Her cares lifted away completely as the man beside her sighed in his sleep. The noise stirred her slightly.

Hinata's arms tightened around Kisame's bare unyielding torso; the pattern of muscles along his back rippled beneath her fingers. He was awake. His breath let out suddenly, rushing along her face.

"Hina?" He breathed softly. She flushed slightly. He took such care with each syllable of her endearing little name, nothing but affection in his tone.

"Kisa…" she replied, sighing happily. His reply was to hold her tighter. Hinata became lost in his form, his scent. It was wonderful, how he smelled. A dark, inexplicable aroma that changed slightly with his emotions. Now, it was warm, a tad like a cat smelled when it had laying in the sun for a while; lazy and slow. The heat and darkness of the room seemed to envelope her, willing her back to sleep. As she slipped from consciousness, she mumbled.

"I love you."

Just before she fell completely asleep, his reply came again.

"I know."

0oOo0

As Hinata approached the female side of the spring that morning, a woman stepped out before her. Her short blue hair had been combed with little attention, though a white paper flower rested behind one ear. A small labret stud gleamed as she spoke.

"Ah, it's you again. Sleep well?"

The voice was achingly familiar, though she could not place it instantly.

"Yes, I did… Are you Byaku?"

The woman smiled slightly, her heavily lidded eyes sparkling.

"Call me Konan. Pleased to meet you again, Hinata."

As she passed the young girl and walked into the main structure, a stiff white butterfly wove about. It dropped before Hinata's feet.

0oOo0

"This is your briefing:" Pein barked, striding before the row of members. "Patrol the grounds as efficiently as possible. Zetsu will handle general surveillance, as usual, but considering the recent security breach, I believe that extra reconnaissance is necessary."

He stopped before Hinata, his hypnotic eyes staring blankly into her. He took a moment to observe her proudly, admiring the way her new cloak fit. As the sky lit a dark, yet intense blue, the dim light set his many piercings agleam.

"Is everything clear?"

"Hai, Rei-sama!" The group snapped. Pein tossed his hand casually.

Everyone vanished.

0oOo0

Hinata found herself alone after a time, simply running from the dismissal point. Her Byakugan flared at half power scanning about generally. She had just begun to glaze over with boredom when a non-natural movement caught her eye, approximately 160 from her front. Hinata stopped short, catching her foot on a protruding root. Her ankle throbbed as she fell to the ground. Her Byakugan revealed that she had strained a tendon. Nothing serious, but she most definitely would not be walking on it anytime soon. Whatever had caught her eye was now standing before her, a furious rippling mass of muscle and bristling fur. A growl echoed from its throat, low and feral. The species was unfamiliar to Hinata, though it was a kind of large feline. It looked displeased merely by her presence. The ex-Hyuuga winced. She was able to fight, but doing so would exacerbate the damage to her foot. In that position, she would be even more helpless. Her only chance was to try and scare it.

She looked around frantically, trying to think of what she could do to frighten it away. In the space of a blink, the sickening sound of tearing flesh ripped through the air, though she felt no pain. For a moment, Hinata believed herself dead. When she opened her eyes again, there was no beast. Only Zetsu.

0oOo0

"_How careless. Of course we can't trust a little girl in the woods._ Indeed. We simply have to keep a better eye on her from now on, don't we? _I wouldn't. I'd let her be eaten. Or I'd eat her myself. Let's eat her._ I'd rather not, at the moment. She seems injured."

Zetsu muttered, his voice modulating between a normal and horrifying tone.

Hinata stared on in confusion, trying to find some sense of meaning in his mismatched eyes. One was perfectly round, as empty and haunting as the moon, the other a slit of gold. The round one was set on a canvas of pure black skin, darker than she had ever seen. The other was set on paper-white flesh. A vicious looking plant engulfed his entire visage. The mysteries of his body hid beneath the cloud-adorned cloak.

"Do you need help?" he asked in his normal tone. She nodded, somewhat ashamed. Zetsu knelt, his dark side remaining silent for the time. With one swift motion, he thrust both arms through the sleeves of his cloak. As she had expected, they were discolored like the rest of his body. Gingerly he lifted her injured ankle, slipping off the spat gently. The sandal went up to her knee. He tried to remove it without bending her foot painfully. She winced only once.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, pulling a wrap of bandages from the pouch on her thigh. She flushed slightly as he wrapped her foot.

"Betsuni." She whispered, moving it slightly in his tender grasp. His thumbs pressed into the hollows above her tibia and fibula where they ended at her ankle. It relieved the pain in the most pleasurable way. Hinata allowed herself a melting sigh. Her blush increased.

"You should be fine. Don't push yourself. I would stay here and use your Kekkei Genkai to keep and eye on things. I'll let one of the other teams know that you're injured."

With that comment, he melded to the grass and sunk below. Hinata blinked in surprise.

"O-oh. Okay then." No one but the wind heard her.

0oOo0

After a few long hours of sitting meekly against a tree with one shoe, exhausting her chakra through Byakugan use, Deidara and Sasori appeared on the edge of her vision field. She watched them approach until they were in normal sights.

"Oi." Deidara greeted simply, sitting beside her and unzipping his cloak. He appeared very tired. Sasori, concealed in his large puppet, lowered to the ground in a bulbous mass nearby, glaring through false eyes at the pair.

Hinata couldn't tear her eyes away from Deidara's sculpted body, shining with perspiration through a layer of fishnet. She gulped, scanning upwards to his chest, covered by a loose shirt, cut away at the sleeves and hemmed to his ribs. She continued up to his neck and jaw, so well defined. His face, smooth and soft, carried an air of pride and haughtiness. One blue eye, and the affiliated eyebrow raised in question observed her with a glitter of compliment.

"Like what you see, un?"

She looked away quickly as his sensuous mouth pulled into a smirk. Sasori's mechanical eyes rolled.

"Pay more attention, gaki. There's trouble about." He drawled, his soft tones made deep and rough through his false visage. Hinata was slightly startled, for she had felt nothing. No chakra signatures, no movements in the wood, nothing… A flickering of something on the edge of her Byakugan, but that could be an animal. Regardless, she was wary.

Whatever was there stayed through the night. A rabbit in a burrow, maybe. Or perhaps…

0oOo0

Naruto and Neji at in comfortable silence, feeling overly confident for the first time since this whole trouble began. On occasion, Naruto would chuckle with concealed glee.

"Neji! You're a genius!" he bubbled from time to time. Neji would clamp a hand over his mouth each time, though inwardly beamed with the complement.

"Do you want to get us caught before we can even do anything?" he whispered, steadily refracting their out flowing chakra signature with a clever jutsu. "Tomorrow night. That's when. Tonight is too risky. She has sensed us. I can tell."

Naruto nodded stoically, something that came as a great challenge to him. The sheer heartbreak of the situation served to sober him, however. He would not fail tomorrow night.

Betsuni: not really

Gaki: brat


End file.
